


Redemption

by bigk4062



Series: Redemption [1]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: mentions of dragon lord, needs finished, old fic, takes place in nttmn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-03-29 17:02:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 25,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13931418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigk4062/pseuds/bigk4062
Summary: As one enemy is defeated, an old one rises to once again take his place





	1. Chapter 1

A/N: Since Casey and April never shown up in the Next Mutation, I've taken a little liberation with their living situation. In this fic, they are dating, and Casey has moved in with Shadow to the downstairs apartment that April has in the 2003 cartoon. Also, April has the antique store opened while she works on a novel, and Casey is a bouncer. Shadow is also in this fic, even though she is not a main character. Obviously this makes the two of them adult, not teens like they are in the 2012 cartoon.  
This fic was based on the dead mail letters that were posted on the Ninja Turtles original website which was completely wiped out when Nick bought them. Basically, Raph has organized a group of former Foot ninja to try to give them some sort of outlet now that Shredder is gone (he was defeated by Venus in the first few episodes of NT:TNM) This has caused many conflicts with his family, mostly Splinter and Leo who don't want him hanging out with this crowd. Everything else should pretty well be explained in the fic, but feel free to ask any questions you might have. This fic picks up after Raph realizes that he has been betrayed by his Clan, that they were still all loyal to The Shredder. Meanwhile, Donny is off on a trip with Renet and the rest of the family is in China helping to defeat Dragon Lord, who is the main villain of NT:TNM This fic was originally written in 2006 so it's been awhile since I worked on it... more to come! (Hopefully)  
"Raph, what are you doing here so late? I thought you were out on a training run with the team?"   
Casey asked, opening the door to his apartment to let in his turtle buddy. Raph walked into the room, looking over his shoulder before he shut the door. Casey looked up, doing a double take at his friends face.   
"What the hell happened to you? You look like you just lost your best friend. Did something happen to your brothers? Is Venus and Master Splinter alright? Did you find out where they all disappeared to?" Casey asked, rapidly firing questions, getting concerned with each that received no answer. Raph just walked in the room and, ignoring Casey altogether, headed straight for the fridge, pulling out a beer and popping the top before plopping down on the couch.  
"Raph, buddy? Is everything ok? You really shouldn't be doing that, you know what Leo would say if he caught you drinking, right?"   
Casey asked, hoping to get some sort of reaction from the turtle on the couch. Instead, all he got was a grunt as Raphael turned on the T.V. Casey debated about running upstairs to get April, but he was afraid to leave Raph alone in this mood, especially if he was drinking.   
Casey could only remember one other time that he had seen Raph with alcohol, and he did not want to go through that again. Keeping an eye on the turtle, he casually picked up the cordless and walked out in the hallway, pretending to do a midnight check of April's shop. As soon as he was out of earshot, he dialed April upstairs, hoping that she wasn't going to hate him for this.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Venus Took a deep breath, making sure that she kept her mind open. It had been almost a month since she had return to China along with Master Splinter, Leo, and Mikey, two weeks since the Dragonlord had been defeated, and only a few days since she had sent Michelangelo and Leonardo home to some sort of unknown danger.   
Now, in her hometown, she was learning many new tricks, and increasing her Shinobi powers every day. Carefully, she emptied her mind, hoping to be able to once again travel to the Realm of Dreams, and figure out what the bad feelings she had been getting were about.  
After a few seconds, she made it there, and opened her eyes. Every time she visited The Realm, it looked different. At first, it had been slowly recovering from the attack of the DragonLord on it. However, now that he was defeated, the Realm was quickly regaining its beauty, and Venus smiled to see the lakes and waterfalls that she had remembered in her childhood.   
She walked along one of them, until she reached a cave. Frowning, she looked inside, wondering if this was the place that she was searching for. Just before she disappeared into the darkness, she heard someone whisper   
"Mei Phi Chi? Mei Phi Chi, we need you!"  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
April rolled over when she heard the phone ringing, hoping that it wasn't going to wake up Shadow. The girl stayed with April when Casey was on call at night, and she always preferred to sleep on the floor in April’s room instead of out on the couch in the living room. Without looking at the Caller ID, April quietly answered the phone and slid out of bed.  
"April, it's Casey. Listen, I'm downstairs and-"  
"Casey Jones! You mean to tell me that you're calling me and risking waking up YOUR daughter, when you are about 100 ft from me?"   
April whispered angrily, peering into her apartment to see if Shadow was still sleeping.   
"Would you just listen, jeez, you're so sensitive all the time, what's your problem."   
Casey asked, cringing at the yelling that was beginning at the other end of the phone. Somewhere between idiot and numskull, he decided it would be best to cut in, before she came up with some really bad nicknames.  
"April, I didn't mean to make you mad, but it’s Raph. He just came over, and he's sitting on my couch and drinking. He looks horrible, I don't know what to do."   
Casey explained, hoping that concern over the turtle would make April forget that he made her really mad.  
"I'll be right down." April said, then hung up. Casey turned around, and there she was, walking down the stair. He couldn't help but smile at her, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  
"That's a great look for ya, April."  
He said, indicating her hair, which was all over the place. April glared at him, then walked away, heading towards the apartment which he lived in. Casey smiled sheepishly and followed, hoping that Raph wasn't drunk yet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Mikey and Leo emerged from the sub, shaking their legs, hoping that they would be able to walk quickly. Mikey got out of the sub, only to wobble and fall on his sea legs. Leo couldn't help but snicker at his brother's antics, and got a dirty look in return.   
"You know bro, I bet you can't do much better than me, why don't you try."  
Mikey suggested, smiling at his older brother.  
"Find, I will."   
Leo said, and got out of the sub, only to fall flat on his face to. Mikey pointed at Leo and laughed, grabbing his nunchucks as Leo got up and unsheathed his Katana.  
"Man, I'm so glad to have my babies back, I'm so sick of those Tofas!"  
Mikey exclaimed, right before he hit himself in the head. He quickly stopped the other one, and hugged his beloved weapons to his chest. Leo lowered his Katana and rolled his eyes.  
"I can't believe that the Shinobi Council gave you those as an expression of their gratitude. All you did was become a glorified babysitter."   
Mikey glared at his older brother before sticking his beak in the air.  
"I shouldn't even dignify that with a response. Don't forget, I almost DIED OUT THERE. Venus at least was a little bit concerned about my well-being."   
Mikey stated, smiling smugly at Leo, who frowned a little before responding.  
"The only reason that she was concerned, little brother, is that she felt that if you died it would be her fault. That's the only reason why."   
Mikey continued smirking at his elder bro, jumping back into the sub to grab his bag when Leo made a move towards him. Leo sighed before following his brother into the sub, unaware of the danger ahead.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Donatello looked around at his surroundings, amazed at how every time he was with Renet that he always managed to go somewhere where Dinosaurs lived. Looking behind him, he saw a couple of species, but he was unable to name then before he felt himself being sucked into a portal, feeling his body disappear into a million different pieces, and whooshing off into space.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Venus opened her eyes, wondering who was calling her back from her exploration of The Realm, when she spotted Master Splinter's worried look.   
"My daughter, it is time for us to go. We have to get back as soon as possible, my son needs me."  
The ninja master told her, gathering his walking stick as he spoke.  
"Master Splinter, what is wrong? I know that we have finally gotten The DragonLord trapped, and I though we were going to spend a few more days here before we went back to New York. After all, we should attend the funeral of those who were unable to survive the Dragon's attacks, isn't that what you told me yesterday?"   
Venus asked, confused as to what was wrong with her sensei.  
"My daughter, we must leave. I feel though something horrible has happened, and I must make sure my sons are all right."   
Venus stood up, bowing to Master Splinter before she began to gather her things.  
I appreciate all of those who have read this first chapter. I'm working on this one while I fix up all of my old fics. I stopped writing on here for a long time, mostly because every time I posted something, it did not comply with some kind of rule they had placed. Hopefully, I haven't broken any this time, but if I did, let me know before you report me. Thanks, and happy holidays everyone!


	2. Chapter 2

Six months ago...  
"Are you going to talk to him Venus?" Donny asked, turning away from his computer to look at the girl standing next to him. Venus frowned, handing Donny the wrench he needed.   
"I guess I should. I mean, I understand Master Splinter's point, but what about Raph. You know how he is about either being all for or all against him. I'm just worried that if Raph thinks that none of us care that he won't come back if something bad happens. What if this doesn't work? Will Raph come back and admit he was wrong without worrying that Leo will insult him or try his 'I told you so' speech that he's been giving?"  
Venus asked, frowning as Donny shrugged his shoulders.  
"I'm not sure what to tell you Venus. All you can do is go downstairs and beg Master Splinter to reconsider how he feels about Raph's pet project, and understand if he says no"  
The purple wearing turtle suggested, frowning as the computer started sparking.   
“Am I the only one concerned about this? It seems like you and Mikey both blow me off when I asked you’re opinions about it.”   
Venus snapped, annoyed at how casual Donny was acting. The other turtle sighed, not knowing what to say, but knowing that it was probably going to start a fight no matter what so he might as well dive on in.   
“I’m concerned because I don’t want Raph to get trapped either. He’s my brother, we grew up together, but he needs more than what this family can give him at this point. Leo and Raph have fought over leadership for years, and they always end up coming to terms with each other. They’ll do it again, it’s just going to take some time.”  
Venus nodded, looking off into the distance for a minute.   
“I’m going to go talk to sensei. Even if it doesn’t do anything right now maybe it will change something down the road.”   
She said, sighing to herself as she left the room, quietly padding up to the elder rat’s door.  
Leo was sitting in Master Splinter's room, drinking tea and talking when there was a quiet knock on the door.   
"Master Splinter, may I speak with you?"   
Venus asked, peeking her head into the elder mutants' chambers.   
"Of course, my daughter, what is it that troubles you?"   
Master Splinter asked, pouring a cup of tea for her, and motioning for her to sit next to Leonardo.   
"We were just discussing what to do about Raphael's little club that he has started. Maybe you could help us."   
"That is what I wish to speak to you about, Master. I mean no disrespect, but shouldn't we support him in this plan of his. I mean, isn't it better for us to try to help these kids than let them rot on the streets? That's why they joined The Foot in the first place, isn't it?"   
Venus asked, bowing down as she said this, afraid to look into the ninja masters eyes.  
"Mei Phi Chi, I understand your kind heart, but it is not our mission to help them. These are our blood enemies, they have worked with The Shredder for far too long, and nothing you can do will stop them from being what they already are, my child. It is as they say, if you lay down with the dogs, you get up with fleas."   
Master Splinter informed her, moving his tail back and forth in slight irritation.   
"But Master, Raphael is right. We need to learn to forgive, if we don't, then they may form another group without The Shredder, or get swallowed up by another gang. You always tell us to do the right thing and to show compassion, you even brought The Shredder himself into our home why is this so different."  
Venus insisted, looking over at Leo, hoping that he would back her up. Leo just looked at Venus before shaking his head slightly.  
"Mei, I understand that you want to help my son. However, this is one of the times where forgiveness is not the right answer. I cannot allow this to happen in my house. If Raphael decides to continue this, then we must let him do it on his own. I will not let my whole family be sucked into his idea. It will only end badly, I can feel it."   
Master Splinter stated evenly, looking into his daughter's eyes.   
"Do you understand Mei Phi?"   
Venus looked at the Ninja Master for a minute before casting her gaze on the floor. Without a word, she put her tea cup down, got up, bowed, and walked out of the room, leaving Leo and Master Splinter alone once again.   
Venus walked out the door, almost crashing into a body that had been standing outside it. Surprised, she looked up to see Raph standing in front of her and cringed inwardly. Knowing that he had heard the entire conversation, she could only watch silently as he stared at the door, then turned and walked away


	3. Chapter 3

Casey looked at Raph for a long moment, trying to read something in his friend’s body behavior. Glancing at April, who shrugged and gestured him on, he gently tapped Raph on the shoulder. When the turtle didn't move, Casey leaned over him and took the beer out of his hand.  
It was only then that he noticed the wetness in Raph's eyes, and the streaks running down his face. Glancing back at April, Casey gave her the beer, silently pointing to the counter in his tiny kitchen. April walked it over, watching in concern as Casey sat down next to Raph without talking.   
Putting the beer down, she walked back towards the counter, and squatted down in front of the depressed turtle. Gently touching his arm, she smiled at him before asking   
"What happened Raphael? Are you alright?"   
Raph's eyes closed briefly then snapped open and narrowed. Within a second he had pushed April's hand of him, and moved off the couch. Casey managed to grab April before she fell over, and pulled her on the couch with him. Taking her hand to calm her down, they both looked at Raph, waiting for him to speak.  
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII  
"Come on Mikey, it's time to get going!"   
Leo said, shaking the sleeping turtle.  
"But Master Splinter, I wanna go back to sleep."   
Mikey muttered, opening his eyes, only to see his brother as opposed to the large mammal he called his father.  
"It is dark out now Mikey, I think that we need to finish packing up and get home."   
Leo told him, heading towards the other room to start gathering supplies.  
"Alright, I'm up, I can't wait to get out of this sub and on with my life. Hey Leo, do you think we could go out on patrol tomorrow night? I wanna use my nunchucks on some young punks."   
Mikey said, picking up his beloved weapons and hugging them to his chest.  
"I think you might want to get off some of the weight you've gained sitting around the sub for the past few weeks first, Mikey."   
Leo teased him.  
"You're really mean Leo. I wish Venus was here right now so she could tell you how much help I was in getting rid of the Dragon Lord."   
Mikey snootily told him, then began to pack himself  
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII  
Casey and April sat still, waiting for Raph to speak. After a very long 15 minutes, Casey was just about to ask April something when a noise came from the turtle standing at the wall.  
"It started almost a month ago. One by one, I was losing members. At first, they were the young ones, who I figured just didn't want to be in a gang to begin with. I allowed them to leave without giving it a second thought. I figured that once the weak ones dropped out, we would have a stronger, better capable group who could really do some good. A couple of days later, I lost a few more people, this time some of the more advanced members. We kept on losing more members, a couple every other day. Then, one day, almost a week ago, Akira disappeared, along with a few others. Now, this was war! I whipped all of my members into shape, and got them ready for anything. If someone was picking us off one by one, then I wanted to be ready to take them down."   
Raph took a deep breath, allowing himself a chance to calm down. Turning around, he looked straight at Casey before continuing.  
"A few days after Akira disappeared we got into a fight with a bunch of punks wearing the old Foot gear. Imagine my surprise when they took off their masks and it was Akira, along with every other member of the Clan Sai that had disappeared over the past few weeks. They told me that He was back, and wanted me to meet him the next night. I was so upset, that I stormed right back to our building and gathered the troops. The next night, we went to the designated place, hoping, I thought, to take out Shredder once and for all. Imagine my surprise when we got there and my troops didn't attack. I guess Master Splinter and Leo where right. Shredder just sat back and waited for me to get comfortable in what I was going, then it stole it all out from underneath me. After he destroyed my clan, he had the nerve to ask me to join him and destroy my family. I ran out, surprised that no one followed me, and came right here. He took everything from me, and now I have to go home and admit to Master Splinter that I was wrong, and hear another lecture about how if I did what he told me and punish me."   
Raph finished up, sighing a little after he finished.  
April’s hands covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes as she realized how close they had come to losing him. Casey stood, dumb-founded, shuffling back and forth trying to come up with something to say. Raphael watched both of them before grabbing his coat and hat.   
"Never mind, I need to go home anyway, face my family, and tell them the truth about what happened to my clan."  
Raphael said, walking out the door, leaving the two of them standing there, staring at the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Leo climbed down the ladder to the lair, taking care not to drop the bag he was carrying. Once he hit the bottom, he called up to his youngest brother to drop the remaining luggage, including some equipment from the sub that Donny would have to fix.  
"Speaking of Donny,"  
Leo muttered to himself, looking around the lair, wondering where his brainy brother was. From the look of the lair, it seemed that no one had been home for weeks. Massaging his forehead in frustration, Leo moved deeper into the lair, taking a bag of stuff to his room to be sorted and put away.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Venus picked up a stick and sighed. She had only been in China for a few weeks, and she already missed New York. She missed having her family around her, and the sights and sounds of the city. Tossing the stick into a near-by lake, she laid back on her shell, looking at the clouds, trying to pick out the shapes that they all looked like.   
Breathing in the scents of the Realm of Dreams was one of the most intense and rewarding experiences of a shamans life, and Venus was determined to enjoy the precious few minutes that she had left before she was to be snuck onto a ship to America along with Master Splinter, stowing away in hopes to get back quickly.  
Without warning, a bolt of energy shot through Venus's body, making her shudder in agony. Rolling to her side, she managed to get up on all fours before collapsing. Before she passed out, Venus managed a faint cry for help, hoping that someone would hear it and find her.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Mikey bounced around the lair, his beloved weapons clutched to his chest, wondering when he was actually going to be able to use them again. Striking a pose in front of the microwave, he took a second to look at himself in the door, frowning as he noticed that he DID look kind of flabby.   
"Maybe Leo was right; I have gain a little bit of weight from this trip."  
Mikey muttered, trying in vain to look his body over using the tiny window from the microwave. Barely containing a grin, he decided there was only one thing to do: check out the mirror in the bathroom. Once again picking up his weapons, he secured them to his belt before walking calmly to the bathroom, taking care not to make a sound as he passed Leo's bedroom, so he wouldn't have to lie about what he was doing.  
Reaching the bathroom, he frowned at the close door. Usually, if no one was in it, the door would be open. Looking at the crack between the door and the floor, he noticed the light wasn't on. After knocking twice, Mikey decided to enter the room slowly just in case Leo had fallen asleep or something. Wrinkling his nose at the smell coming from the bathroom, he flicked on the light, only to be greeted by a horrible sight.  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"Oomph"   
Donny said, dropping through a hole into his computer chair. Rubbing a sore spot on his shoulder, the turtle looked around, trying to get a bearing on his surroundings. Noticing that he was back in the lair, Donny began to grin, happy to know that he was home. Stretching out lazily, he looked at his computer, wondering how badly this little vacation had set back his research.  
"Have you been there the whole time?"   
A voice interrupted him, causing Donny to spin around in surprise.  
"Hey Leo"   
Donny said, getting up to give his oldest brother a hug.   
"I didn't know that you guys were back! Did everything go ok? Is the Dragon Lord gone finally?"   
Donny asked, looking around the lair for the rest of his family.  
"Well, Mikey and I are back. The council was having a little bit of trouble figuring out how to keep the DragonLord contained, so Venus and Master Splinter decided to stay back and help out. Mikey and I brought the sub back. I think they are going to grab a ship somehow when they are ready."   
Leo informed Donny, grinning a little as he added   
"Oh, and watch out for Mikey. He helped out the counsel by volunteering to get himself killed, and they ended up giving him a pair of 'chucks in appreciation, and he hasn't let go of them sense."  
Donny groaned at the news, remembering how bad Mikey had been before with his nunchucks, causing so much trouble that Master Splinter had ended up taking them away from him for good.  
"I see that you got so much work done while we were gone Donny. Did you even touch your computer in the past month or so?"  
Leo asked dryly, gesturing to the piles of stuff in Donny's area that were in almost the same exact position as before the trip to China.  
"Actually, I kind of got sidetracked by our favorite Time Mistress, Renet."   
Donny informed his older brother, watching Leo's face wrinkle in disgust. There was no love lost between Leo and Renet, mostly because the girl always got them into trouble when she showed up, and even handed them a few enemies that had almost destroyed the whole planet.   
"Anyway, she needed help checking out a disturb-"  
Donny started to explain, stopping when a yell began to echo throughout the lair.  
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH"  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Casey moved around his apartment, cleaning things up before his shift. Shadow was trying to finish up a drawing she had been working on, hoping to show it to Uncle Mikey the next time he came over. Casey smiled as he watched his daughter carefully finish her drawing, amazed at how much control she had over her fine motor skills at only 5 years old.   
Frowning as he remembered that he hadn't heard from Raph since the night before last, he couldn't help but wonder if his buddy was alright. Making a resolution, he marched over and flipped open his shell cell, hoping to get in touch with the turtle.   
Punching in Raph's number, Casey waited expectantly for him to pick up, frowning as the ringing continued with no answer.


	5. Chapter 5

The night before  
Raph walked through the sewers, muttering to himself. Halfway home, he realized that his bike was still at April's, but the effort it would take to go back wasn't worth it, so he decided to just keep on going.   
"I just need to get home, everything will be ok, if I could just make it home…."  
He kept chanting, the phrase becoming his own personal mantra, pushing him to go faster, move silently, and stay alert, despite the tears that were slowly sliding down his face.  
Finally, he made it to the turnoff that would lead him right to his front door, and he quickly consulted the map that Donny had given him, making sure that he did not trip any of the alarms that were set up in the vicinity.  
Another turn, and Raph was at the trapdoor that brought him home. Carefully reaching for the chain, he gave a tug, then disappeared underneath the sewers.  
Finding the lair deserted wasn't an uncommon occurrence for Raph. Since starting the Clan Sai, he saw his family less and less, mostly from his own doings. Knowing that his Father and eldest brother disapproved of what he did was enough ammo for the turtle not to come home often, and those times were often planned around times when the disapproving members of his family were out on training runs.  
However, having to grope around in the dark looking for the lights was a different story altogether. As light flooded the lair, Raph could not help but frown. There were empty pizza boxes on the table, and from the smell radiating from the area, those pizzas had been sitting for a while.  
Everything in the lair looked funny, as if no one had been home for a long time. Sighing to himself, Raph wandered through the lair, trying to figure out what happened to his family.  
After wandering through the whole lair, Raph stood in the hallway, still wondering what was going on. Donny's computer was on Standby mode, while his Bo Staff was the only weapon left in the holder. Venus's scrolls were missing, along with a few of the herb boxes that she always kept handy. Raph paused by his father’s door, hesitating opening it as memories of the last time he talked to his father came flooding back.   
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
It had been a long day for Raph. There had been many disagreements in the clan, mostly from the ones who didn't really want to be there. Without Casey as backup, Raph managed to get rid of many problem-makers, including the one who was threatening to usurp his leadership. Raph groaned, shaking off the tension in his shoulders. After a long day, he had decided to go home, hoping to actually spend some time with his family.   
He finally made it to the lair, only to be greeted by his hyper-active little brother. Running towards the door with a huge grin on his face, Mikey enveloped his brother in a huge hug, before giggling at him.   
“Hey Raph, you’re home just in time for movie night! Donny’s cooking up the popco-“  
"Master Splinter would like to speak to you."   
A voice interrupted the exchange, the eldest of the brothers leaning against the doorway to look at his long-absent sibling.  
Raph sighed, rolling his eyes at Mikey before patting his little brother on the head and making his way towards his father’s door. Knocking lightly, he stood uncomfortably, shuffling his feet and looking at his little brother while he waited for the old rat's command.   
"Enter!"  
Mikey watched as Raph slowly walked into Master Splinter's room and shut the door. As soon as the elder turtle was out of sight, Mikey ran to Venus's room. Barely giving it a knock, he opened the door, only to find Venus and Donny deep into a conversation about something. Both turtles turned to look at him, obviously irritated that he had interrupted them.   
"What do you want Mikey? Donny and I are trying to figure out how to deal with the increases in Rank."   
Venus informed him, giving the youngest of the brothers a stern look.   
"Well, I figured I'd let you know that Raphie came home, and he's talking to Master Splinter right now. Leo shanghaied him practically before he even walked in the door."  
Mikey informed the two, looking to see if they even cared.   
Venus and Donny looked at each other, before Venus got up from the bed, walking out of her room towards their Sensei's door. Donny and Mikey quickly followed her, wondering what was happening to Raph in there.   
Raph walked slowly into his Sensei's room, quietly kneeling before him. The old rat regarded his troublemaking son with wary eyes, wondering how to address his concerns. Clearing his throat, Splinter decided to jump right in.   
"Raphael, I am concern with the amount of time that you are spending with this Clan that you have decided to join up with. I do not trust that this is the most conductive thing for you to do with your time. I have tried to let this go by, but my patience with you is at its end. I want this club disbanded, and I want you back here where you belong."   
Raph's head snapped up at his Sensei's last comment, eyes narrowing as his temper began to take over.   
"Why would I just disband my clan. They enjoy what we do! We're ridding the streets of the scum bags that are still loyal to the Foot, and we have people who are able to help us defend the good citizens of New York against those who want to hurt them, not to mention that I have a place where I'm understood and learning how to be responsible, which is what I thought you wanted in the first place!"   
Raph ranted, his face turning slightly red while his voice just got louder with each word.   
Splinter looked at his son, his eyes narrowed slightly. Without wanting to, he sighed to himself, wondering what it would take to get through to his thick-headed child.   
"My son, I-"   
Splinter said, stopping short when the door opened. Venus spilled in, followed by Mikey and Donny, being pushed in by Leo.   
"What is the meaning of this, my children?"  
Splinter asked, one furry eyebrow arched in anticipation of an answer.  
"Master Splinter,"   
Leo began, bowing in respect to his father before he continued   
"Venus, Mikey, and Donny were listening through the door to your private discussion with Raph."  
Donny glared at Leo before regarding hisr father.   
"Master, I know that you do not approve of what Raph is doing, but is it wise to just reject him like this? I mean, shouldn't we support each other instead of letting our differences split up the family? Shouldn't we be giving these kids a chance instead of letting them rot out on the streets?"  
Mikey and Venus were nodding at Donny’s words, while Master Splinter just sighed.  
"I am not discussing this any further with any of you. These are the underlings of our mortal enemy, the man who destroyed my family, who has destroyed countless lives. A leopard cannot change its spots, nor a zebra its stripes, just like someone cannot turn good who is accustomed to evil-doings."   
"Your family."  
Raph said, causing the rest of the group to look him in shock. No one had ever actually said that to Master Splinter before, and the rest of the turtles stepped back from the two, ready to leave quickly if need be.  
"Excuse me, Raphael?" Splinter quietly said, the tension in his shoulders the only thing that showed his anger and disappointment in his posture.  
"All we've heard of these past 18 years is about how the Shredder destroyed YOUR family, and how YOU lost YOUR home because of the Foot, and how we would one day avenge YOUR loss. You never bothered to see how this revenge training affected us, and you never wondered about what would happen to others because of your revenge. All our lives, we heard you talk about everything you lost, And now, when we can make up for the fact that this crazy war we were in, and help save the kids whose lives have been destroyed, and you want ME to walk away. I WON'T, and I CAN'T."   
Raphael told his father, turning and walking out of the room. Before anyone could blink, he popped into his room, grabbed a few things, and left, the sounds of his bike's engines revving echoing throughout the silent lair…..  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Raph looked through his father's room, noticing that his cane was missing, as well as some of Master Splinter's own herbs were missing. Closing the door, he wandering to the bathroom, deciding the first thing to do was to wash off the dirt and grime that was still on him after the fight.  
After a shower, Raph stared in the mirror, wondering what to do next. None of his family was around, and even if they were, how would he apologize after everything he had said to his family.   
Raph looked up, studying his reflection in the mirror. Without a second thought, he brought up both his fists, slamming them against the glass again and again, then using his bloodied hands to tear apart the bathroom, ripping apart the toilet, the bathtub, and breaking the shelves in the closet.   
Finally catching his breath, Raph looked around the room, before stumbling into his own bed, not bothering to clean up the mess he left.


	6. Chapter 6

Donny and Mikey ran towards their screaming sibling, staring at the bloody bathroom. Leo turned to Donny with a question, and when the genius shook his head he realized in a second what had happened. The three brother's split up, looking through the lair for their brother. Through his panic, Mikey realized that his shell cell was ringing.  
"Hey Casey, what’s going on? Is Raph with you?"  
The silence on the other end answered his question in the negative, and Mikey tried to hold back a sob as he waited.  
"Mikey, didn't Raph come home last night?"  
Casey questioned softly.  
"I don't know, Leo and I just got back from China and Donny was out with Renet."  
"Crap. I'm grabbing April and Shadow and we will be down in a bit."  
Casey hung up, leaving Mikey listening to dead air. Donny came around the corner then and snatched away his phone.  
"I hope you're not ordering pizza right now."  
Mikey shook his head, too upset to comment on Donny's assumption of him.  
"I was just talking to Casey... he's looking for Raph too, he said he would be here in a few with April and Shadow."  
Donny nodded, wrapping an arm around his little brother.  
"He's got to be here somewhere Mikey, let me check my computer.”  
Mikey sighed, looking around the lair.  
"Where else is there to look? It's not like we have a ton of space in here."  
Mikey glanced around the lair before an idea came to him. He approached Venus's room, muttering a prayer under his breath that the shinobi would forgive him for being in there without her.  
"Are you sure that's the best idea Mikey?"  
Leo asked, watching as Mikey nodded before silently pointing to the dried blood on the door knob. He took a breath before opening the door, leading to his second scream of the night.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Venus sat in mediation, trying to calm her stomach. Being in the cargo hold was no picnic, and traveling through the air in a tight space made it even worse. When she had appealed to the council that they needed a quick trip back to the states, they had agreed to smuggle the mutants onto a plane. Unfortunately, flights had been limited, and they had to wait several days for one that had close to a direct route to New York City.  
One landing at a small airport, where they had hidden well as more luggage was added, and a fuel up and finally they were almost over the Atlantic. Still, the journey had been rough, and it was taking it's toll on the two.  
She could hear Splinter stirring next to her, trying to find a comfortable spot in their confined spot. The flight home had been extremely uncomfortable for the both of them, mostly because they still were barely on speaking terms.  
Venus sighed, wishing that the 18 hour flight would be over soon. She looked over at the spot where her surrogate father sat, wondering how to broach the uncomfortable subject that hung over the two of them.  
"Master Splinter?"  
She whispered, sensing his ears twitching as she began to talk.  
"I don't want to fight anymore. I've already lost so much, I don't want to lose my second family too. Please."  
Venus looked down at her hands, feeling the tears drip down her face. Splinter didn't answer, choosing instead to fold his legs and close his eyes, attempting to once again meditate. Venus looked over at him for a long minute before joining, their slow, steady breathing the only sounds in the hold.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Casey dragged April through the sewers, carrying his daughter on his shoulders. Shadow was giggling, excited that she was going to see her uncles. April was quiet beside him, worrying silently about her mutant family. When they finally made it to the entrance, April disappeared down the ladder first, reaching up to take Shadow from Casey so he could safely come down himself.  
"Hey guys, where are you?"  
Casey yelled, disappearing from view to find his friends. April settled on the couch with Shadow, waiting for one of her friends to appear. Mikey did first, popping up next to the couch and making both the girls jump. Shadow grinned at her favorite uncle, and when Mikey didn't smiled back April knew it wasn't good.  
"Hey Shadow, how about you turn on the tv for a bit so I can talk to your Uncle Mikey?"  
She suggested, looking over at Mikey who had already found the remote. The 5 year-old agreed, quickly turning the tv on in excitement. April pulled Mikey away, looking over the orange wearing mutant quickly. There were traces of blood on his shell and arms, and his eyes were huge.  
"What happened Mikey?"  
She asked quietly, giving him a small hug.  
"I don't know. We just got back from China. Venus and Master Splinter are still there, we finally defeated the Dragon Lord, and Donny was away with Renet, he just got back, and the bathrooms a mess, and there's blood everywhere and-"  
April grabbed Mikey by the shoulders, trying to get him to stop rambling.  
"Michelangelo. Where is Raphael?"  
She asked, giving Mikey a stern look.  
"He's in the lab with Donnie... he trashed the bathroom and got himself cut up pretty well. It wouldn't have been too bad but he had a big piece of glass in his right arm that kept bleeding... Donny's giving him a transfusion right now but he's not waking up."  
April gasped, closing her eyes in regret.  
"I shouldn't have let him leave. Casey was going to come down here and check up on him, but we thought you guys were here. If we would have known..."  
April let her voice trail off, sighing deeply. Mikey looked at her for a minute, realizing that she could fill in some of the blanks.  
"So you know what happened? All that we managed to get from Raph was him looking at Leo and saying 'He's back.' We're assuming he's talking about Shredder, but what happened?"  
April sighed again, looking over at Mikey.  
"How about we wait for Donny to get done, and we can talk while we wait for Raph to wake up?"  
She suggested, and Mikey nodded.  
"In the meantime, have you guys had dinner yet? How about I cook something up quickly while we wait... you all need to eat."  
Mikey nodded, allowing April to lead him to the kitchen where Leo and Casey were sitting. April gave the leader a small hug, noting the bandage on his arm that indicated he had been the one to give Raph blood.  
She opened the fridge, realizing belatedly that there would be nothing edible in it if no one had been home for weeks. Luckily a quick check of the freezer gifted her with two frozen pizzas, a sure crowd pleaser. She turned on the oven, unwrapping the pizzas and getting them ready to go in. The three boys in the room watched her silently, too depressed to talk.  
Donny appeared a few minutes later, dropping into a chair before halfheartedly greeting the humans.  
"How is he?"  
Casey inquired, and Donny shrugged.  
"I cleaned him up as well as I could, which doesn't really say much. He's got some cuts and bruises that he must have tried to patch up himself badly, and he's ripe for a nasty infection. He also broke his wrist, which I set as best as I could. Other than that, he's fine. There's really no reason he shouldn't wake up soon, but who knows."  
Donny sighed, rubbing his temples. Leo patted his little brother reassuringly before looking at Casey and April.  
"Maybe you two should fill in some of the blanks about what happened. We need to know what we're dealing with."  
"Well Mikey said you guys know the Shredder is back. It's worse than that though. Raph's been losing members of his clan for the past few months, which I'm sure you all knew about."  
A quick glance showed that the three turtles had no clue what he was talking about and Casey realized that Raph hadn't told anyone in his family what had been going on.  
"Well, Akira disappeared last week, and Raph freaked. He wanted to go after whoever was picking off his people that night but he decided to wait. Well, he went, and it was Shredder, with Akira at his side. Then his entire clan abandoned him, reverting back to the Foot right before him. Shredder let him go, but not before offering him a place as his top lieutenant."  
Leo froze, kicking himself for not talking more about his fears to Raph. For pushing away his brother, until he thought he was better off with a group of people who were only there to betray him. Silence fell over them, only interrupted when the over timer dinged.  
April pulled out the pizzas, tossing a slice on each plate before forcing all of them to take a slice. She brought one into Shadow, who was deeply absorbed in some cartoon April didn't want to know the name of. She kissed the little girl, smiling at her as she giggled and ate. She re-entered the kitchen, settling in between Mikey and a sulking Leo.  
"So where exactly have you all been recently? The lair looks like no one has been here in weeks its covered in dust."  
April asked, sitting back as Donny, Mikey, and Leo began to tell her about their most recent adventures. A few hours later, Casey had slung a sleeping Shadow over his shoulders, nodding to his friends as he began to climb up the ladder. April followed, stopping by to check on Raph and giving him a kiss on the cheek even though he was still sleeping.  
She firmly instructed the other three to call her when he woke up, and that she would be back tomorrow to check on them since Master Splinter wasn't home. They all nodded, watching silently as their human friends disappeared.  
Mikey looked at his two older brothers, hoping that one of them would come up with something to pass the time. When that didn't happen he sighed, looking towards Donny's lab where his other brother slept.  
"Well, guess I'm going to turn in for the night guys. See you in the morning."  
He whispered, nodding to the other two before he started to leave.  
"Somebody should stay up with Raph."  
Donny stated, stopping Mikey in his tracks. Leo nodded, not bothering to volunteer. Donny rolled his eyes, annoyed that once again all of the nursing had fallen to him. Mikey attempted to smile, bumping his elbow into Donny's side.  
"Sorry bro, jet lag is taking over. Can I catch some zzz's and I'll switch you in a few hours? My body thinks it's the middle of the morning right now."  
Donny agreed, looking over at Leo who had yet to say anything, instead choosing to stomp away to his old room. Mikey left soon after, leaving Donny to his own devices. He picked up a gadget to tinker with, hoping that this night would quickly be over.


	7. Chapter 7

Mikey sulked in Raph's room, watching his brother sleep. It had been a month since they had came home, and the hot-headed turtle had barely left his room. When he did, it was only to use the bathroom and eat something before returning to his room.   
He refused to speak to anyone, not even when Donny tried to talk to him about his injuries. Mikey was the only one who even bothered to come in and check on his brother, the other two choosing to leave him alone.   
The youngest couldn't abandon his brother again, not after everything that had happened between them. He instead rotated himself in and out of his room, burning time until Raph was ready to talk. He began pacing, looking over at the clock in his brother's room.   
Master Splinter was suppose to be home weeks days ago, and they hadn't heard from either him or Venus. Leo had gone out searching, coming back empty handed. He instead spent all of his time meditating or training, worried that the rest of his family had been captured. Donny poured over news reports, looking for any hint that they may have been discovered on some flight. April have checked the wires, talking to a friend who was a reporter to see if they had heard anything.   
No sign of either one, as if the two of them had disappeared without a trace. Mikey sighed, stirring slightly when someone knocked on the door. Donny entered, glancing over at his sleeping brother before looking back at Mikey.   
“You ready for dinner? April brought down some kind of chicken thing for us.”   
Mikey nodded, looking back over at Raph before leaving the room with Donny. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Venus groaned as she woke up, attempting to stretch as she stood. The small cave she had found for them to hid in offered little in the way of space, making it difficult to sleep comfortably. She leaned over to check on Splinter, checking to see if his broken leg was doing any better.   
It had been several weeks since they had touchdown at a small airport outside of New York City, in an attempt to avoid getting caught by security. They had managed to get off the plane and jump the fence, waiting until night to dash into the woods.   
The original plan had been for them to travel down the Hudson River until they reached the city, then disappear into the sewers. That plan had fallen through when they fell through a trap a hunter had left behind.   
Venus had fallen on top of Splinter, breaking one leg and severely spraining the other one. That had left them in this cave, alone in the woods. Venus had tried several times to leave and find some way to communicate with their family, but there was no pay phones in the area, and they didn't have a way to send a letter or email.   
Venus instead turned her energy into getting them out of the area, as slow as possible in order not to jar the elder rat's injuries. This had lead to several fights between the two, Splinter insisting that she leave him behind and go find their family.   
Venus refused, and the few fights she had gotten into with various wildlife proved her point. She was not going to be the reason Splinter died, she couldn't go through losing another father figure. Venus sighed, standing and stoking the fire.   
It was getting to the point that they would have to make a move. September was quickly fading, the nights getting colder and snow was on the horizon. They had to find a way to get to Manhattan. No one was going to come find them, no one even knew where they were. For now, Venus would have to figure out a plan. She had found a new place to hide that was closer to town, where she could leave Splinter while she searched for supplies.   
Now it was just a matter of getting Splinter there. It was close to the edge of the woods, where Venus was getting ready to put her plan into action. She just hoped it would work, they were running out of time, and she really did not have any other options.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Leo had a map of Manhattan spread out on the table, pointing at various spots. April was standing next to him, offering suggestions. Casey was playing with Shadow, looking over his shoulder to make a comment every once in a while.   
“I don't know where else to look for them. We've been checking our safe spots for them as often as I feel safe about it, and nothing. Their communicators still aren't working, and searching for weird animal sightings has turned up nothing.”   
Leo reviewed the facts out loud, hoping the 20th time he's said them would put a new idea in somebodies head.   
“We know Leo, we've been over it a thousand times! How about coming up with an idea that might actually give us a lead.”   
Donny snapped, his nerves frayed. Mikey watched the exchange silently, not knowing what to say to either of his brothers. April began spooning out dinner, giving everyone a plate.   
“Where's Raph?”   
She questioned, realizing that he wasn't with them.   
“He's sleeping, or at least he was. The pain pills I have him on seem to have dissolved what little personality he had. I don't know what to do to break him out of this funk he's in. Nor do I have the time to deal with it right now. We need to find Master Splinter and Venus, that's our priority.”   
April picked up two plate, sighing as she left the kitchen. She knocked on Raph's door, entering when there was no answer. The turtle was on his bed, silently polishing his Sai. April placed both of the plates on the bed and shut Raph's door.   
She picked back up one plate and sat on the floor, leaning up against the wall. The past few weeks had been trying for everyone, and she was getting tired of his attitude. It was time to snap out of this funk and join the real world, as painful as it might be. She just didn't know where to start. Raph stared at her, not saying a word. April continued to eat her dinner in silence, looking up at him every once in awhile.   
Finally the turtle moved, leaning forward to take his plate before joining her on the floor. April smiled at him, placing her hand gently on his bicep. The two continued to eat, not a single word passing between them. Once they were done, April collected the plates and left, leaving Raph sitting on the floor in silence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

It took a couple of days, but Venus had finally gotten Splinter moved to the new spot. After a couple more Venus was ready to put her plan into action. She had spent a few nights carefully roaming the streets of the town nearby, looking for a car to steal.   
She would load Splinter in the back and drive the 2 hours to outside the city, then go find her family. Then they could help her get him into the city, and back home where Donny would be able to help them. She had found the perfect car to steal, it was old enough that there shouldn't be a GPS tracker, and the owner usually came home and stayed for the night.  
All she had to do was wait for night to fall, and hope that no one was around when she made her move. Venus watched the sun sink, working on cleaning up their camp site. She had to make it look like no one had been here, and that meant getting rid of the food and wood she had stockpiled.   
The one flaw in her plan was sitting next to her, it would take awhile to get him out of the woods, and there was a chance that someone could spot them. Venus didn't want to think about it, chosen to believe that she could get them out, needing to believe it.   
The sun finished setting, and Venus took a breath. Time to put her plan into action. She disappeared after a quick nod to Splinter, who was attempting to finish cleaning up without standing. Living with a group of ninjas had its perks, and Venus was able to make it back to the neighborhood she had found the car in.   
Lucky enough for her, it was parked on the street, much easier to take off with. Venus took a breath, darting forward in the darkness. She avoided the street lights, darting between the shadows to get close.   
Finally she was there, popping the lock on the car door. She pulled out the wires, grateful beyond belief that Donny had taught her how to hot wire a car. She sat in the car for a minute, taking deep breaths before carefully driving off.   
She had made up a spot by the edge of the woods for Splinter to met her, and by some miracle he was there, waiting for her. Venus pulled over, running over to open up the back passenger door and helping him into the car. Then she took off, not really knowing where she was going but knowing she had to go south.   
Several hours of Splinter back seat driving and trying to read road signs, by some miracle they made it to familiar territory. Venus parked the car, pulling Splinter out of the back seat before disappearing into the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Leo dragged Mikey and Donny through practice, ignoring their complaints that Raph wasn't there. He was not going to be out of shape when Shredder decided to plan his next attack, and neither was the rest of his family.   
“Alright guys, let's practice it again. This time, try not to be so sloppy.”   
Mikey rolled his eyes at his big brother, picking up his nunchuks and twirling them.   
“Come on bro, we need a break, we've been going on for hours already.”   
“Well maybe if you would stop fooling around and actually practice, we wouldn't have to keep practicing the same things over and over again!”   
Leo snapped, eyeing his little brother harshly.   
“Alright Leo we get it, Mikey's sorry, now can we please just get on with it? I have to go check on Raph in a bit.”   
Donny said, readying his Bo Staff. The three brother's continued their training until they were all exhausted, trying to beat back all of their mixed emotions. Donny left to go doctor, while Leo settled into meditation, hoping to somehow contact his father.   
That left Mikey to his own devices. He wandered into the kitchen, debating what to make for dinner. April and Casey had left a ton of groceries when they came the other day, which only made the decision making worse.   
“Chicken, Jelly Bean and pickle pizza? Maybe some apple slices and bananas?”   
“How about making something that we could all actually stomach that's disgusting.”   
Mikey whipped around at the voice, eyes wide.   
“Venus! You're home! Where have you guys been? Where's Master Splinter? Why haven't you guys-.”   
Venus held up a hand to stop him, smiling shakily as she sunk into a seat.   
“I'll go into details later, but first, we need to go help Master Splinter. He's back at one of our hide outs, I wasn't able to bring him, he was too hurt.”   
Mikey sighed, staring at her intensely.   
“I'll go get the Donny and Leo.”   
He left the room, returning quickly with his two brothers. Donny gave Venus a quick glance over, noticing that she had lost a bit of weight over the past few weeks. The multitude of healing scars on her arms and legs made him frown, but there wasn't time for him to worry. He instead looked over at Leo, nodding at his eldest brother to lead.   
“Can you tell us where you left him Venus? Donny would rather you stay here and rest instead of driving all over town with us. Mikey will make you something to eat, and you should take a shower and relax.”   
Leo asked, clasping a hand over her shoulder. Venus nodded, giving Leo instructions on where their Master was. Leo and Donny quickly left, and Venus turned to look over at Mikey. He pulled out the chicken, along with some salad.   
“Donny says something light for you guys to eat tonight. He doesn't want you to puke it all up 5 minutes after you eat. How about you go take a shower, and I'll cook you something so you can go to bed.”   
Venus nodded, getting up and slowly moving towards the shower. Mikey watched her go before chopping up the chicken for dinner. By the time she had showered and changed into a spare set of gear, Mikey had finished cooking and had plated her a dish.   
“Hey V, you're looking better! How about if you sit down and eat some of my world famous chicken! It's delicious.”   
He gave her a huge smiled, placing a steaming plate in front of her. He had given her a small portion, not wanting to waste food. Venus breathed in the aroma, haven't not ate real food in weeks. Mikey watched her, relieved that his family was back together and safe. Venus finished, leaning back and sighing as her stomach finally felt full.   
“So... where's Raph?”   
She asked, eyeing Mikey. The orange bandana wearing turtle sighed, looking over towards his brother's room.   
“He... hurt himself before we got back. Donny stitched him up, but he's been pretty much living in his room the past month.”   
Venus nodded slowly, yawning.   
“Hey, Donny texted me that they found Splinter. Why don't you go relax and see if you can get some sleep. He can always wake you up if he wants to check on you later.”   
Mikey suggested, and Venus agreed. She yawned again, rubbing her eyes. She shuffled down the hall towards her room, before pausing at Raph's door. She opened it gentley, seeing him laying on the bed facing away from the door. She padded quietly over to his bed, sitting on it and placing her hand on Raph's shoulder. He didn't stir, so Venus muttered a hello and left, heading towards her own room.   
She sat down on her bed, enjoying the feel of being on something that wasn't cold and covered in leaves. A few tears slipped down her cheeks, weeks of not sleeping and eating well, as well as the worrying she had done about Splinter was crashing down on her quickly.   
She laid down on top of the sheets, staring at the ceiling lost in thought. A slight noise startled her, and she looked over at the door to see Raph staring at her. She sat up, glancing over at her clock to see that several hours had past and she realized that she must have fallen asleep for a bit after all.   
“Raphael? Is everything ok?”   
She asked, slightly unnerved by how he was staring at her. Raph didn't respond, just stood there, looking lost. Venus sighed, knowing that he needed some help. She got up and pulled back the covers. Grabbing Raph by the arm, she led him to the bed before climbing in herself. Laying on her side, she rubbed his shell while he silently cried himself to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: There are a few flashbacks in this chapter from when the boys are 11... so I'm gonna say about 8 years ago. Also, I'm basing Splinter off of the 2012 version where he is actually Hamato Yoshi, not the pet rat. It just makes more sense to me. Anyway, I'd like to thank MaelaFr for giving this fic a Kudos, and a big thank you to those who read it. You don't know how excited I was to see so many hits!!

 

 

The days went by quickly, and soon everyone was on the mend. Donny had been forced to re-break Splinter's leg so it would heal better, an event he hoped to never repeat again. Luckily the sprain was doing alright, and after a few days Splinter was able to get up and carefully walk around the lair.

He then focused on helping both Master Slinter and Venus recoup from their trip, instructing Mikey on meals to make, and monitored both of the travelers to see how their weight gain was going.

Leo spent most of his time in the dojo, training for hours at a time. When he wasn't, he was meditating with Venus, trying to learn all he could about the Shinobi arts.

Raph started to come out of his room a bit more, spending most of his time doing reps on the weight machines. He had always been the strongest of his brothers, and now he was even more bulked up, focusing all his anger on improving himself.

Donny had weaned him off the pain medication, concerned about the change in attitude his older brother was experiencing, but it had done little to bring him back to who he used to be. No more joking, no more smiling, no more fights with Leo about his leadership.

The lair had become a lot more quiet with him out of commission, and it was becoming insufferable. Raph was laying on the couch, icing his swollen knee when Mikey bounced out of the kitchen, smiling at his older brother.

“Hey Raph, have you seen V? Donny said that she can start eating real food so I made her some of my famous waffles for breakfast!!”

Raph ignored him, continuing to massage his knee carefully. Mikey sighed to himself, wondering how much longer they were suppose to put up with this attitude.

Leo walked by, helping Master Splinter with his cane. The elder rat settled next to Raph on the couch, patting his red-wearing son on the leg. Raph jerked up, grabbing his ice and limping back into his bedroom, slamming the door. Mikey watched him go, then glanced back at the look on his master's

face and knew he needed to do something.

“Hey Leo, you've seen Venus? I made her breakfast and she needs to come eat it before I do!”

Leo rolled his eyes, knowing his brothers' unending appetite.

“She's with Donny, he's doing a blood test.”

“Another one? It's amazing she hasn't punched him in the face with how many time's he's pricked her recently.”

Mikey joked, heading off towards Donny's lab. He banged on the door, poking his head in. Venus and Donny jumped when they heard him, whipping around as if they were caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Mikey watched them confused.

“What's going on? Are you two ok?”

Venus glanced at Donny before sighing.

“Donny took some blood from Raph last week and ran some tests. They all came back negative, but we're concerned about him. We were trying to figure out our next move is all.”

Mikey pulled over a chair, plopping himself down between Donny and Venus.

“So what are you guys thinking?”

“Well, I've been doing research on his symptoms, and I think it's pretty obvious that he's suffering from depression.”

Mikey rolled his eyes, annoyed.

“What gave you the first clue Donny? The fact he isn't talking to anyone or the fact he tried to take himself out with the bathroom mirror? We know what's wrong, the problem is that we don't know how to fix it.”

“There might not be any fixing it Mikey. Raph has to decide that he needs help and ask for it. We can't force him to accept what we suggest.”

“Like hell we can't. I'm tired of walking on egg shells around him. I say we stage an intervention, and see what he has to say for himself! Raph's always been the most direct out of all us, and that's how we are going to fix him!”

Venus and Donny looked at each other, debating.

“At this point, it couldn't hurt to try. Something's gotta snap him out of it right?”

Donny said slowly, thinking it over. Venus shrugged, willing to agree to just about anything at this point. She yawned, unable to stop herself. Donny looked at her sharply, studying her with narrowed eyes. “

You've been tired a lot lately Venus. Have you been taking the supplements that I gave you? They should be helping by now.”

Venus nodded, stifling another yawn.

“I'm just having trouble sleeping at night. And before you say anything, I'm not taking any pills Donny, so don't even suggest it.”

Donny snapped his mouth shut, knowing that the female could be even more stubborn than any of his brother's when she wanted to be.

“Can I make a suggestion?”  
Mikey asked, raising his hand like he was in school. Donny and Venus stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

“I just want to say that maybe Master Splinter and Leo should sit this one out. I think Raph's still pretty upset about all the fighting they had been doing, and having them around just seems to makes him worse.”   
“I definitely agree with Mikey. We all know how Raph can hold a grudge.”

Venus commented, sighing.

“He's still not speaking to either one of them, he won't even look at Master Splinter, or offer to help him get anything when he's hobbling around.”

Donny agreed, standing.

“Well, let's get this over with... I just hope he doesn't think we're ganging up on him.”

Mikey said, opening the door only to reveal Leo standing there looking peeved.

Master Splinter sighed as he watched his stubborn son slowly walk away before turning to his eldest who was glaring at his brother.

“Leonardo, why don't you make us some tea? These old bones of mine could use some comfort while they are healing.”

Leo nodded, bowing respectfully to his master before leaving the living room. The ninja master relaxed on the couch, his mind drifting to a time not long ago...

_Splinter could not believe how fast his four young wards were growing. They reminded him so much of himself when he was a young man in Japan, back when his only goals in live were to lead his Clan and take care of his family. The hole in his heart was never quite filled, but every day it because a little less while he concentrated on his new family._

_Recently he had given his sons their first weapons, wanting them to grow as both a group and as individuals. The problem now was, he needed to declare one of them the leader. Unfortunately, now it was time to declare one of them the leader of the other three, the one that would guide them when they found themselves in the face of danger._

_In Splinter's mind there was only one choice: Leonardo._

_He was the one that had the most natural talent for the role. Raphael was more comfortable leading himself, Donatello was better at fixing things, and Michelangelo, while he was the one with the most raw talent, did not focus enough to reach his potential._

_The boys had turned 11 a few days ago, and tonight was going to be the next cermony, the next step on their path of manhood._

Master Splinter's train of thought came to a halt when he heard voices yelling at each other. His ears turned toward Mei's room, recognizing both her voice and three of his sons. Sighing, he grabbed his cane and shuffled towards the noise, taking care not to go to fast. 

“My children, what is wrong?” 

The voices stopped, and the four fighting turtles turned towards the Master sheepishly. 

“Leonardo?” 

Splinter asked, knowing what they were fighting about but not about all the details. 

“Sorry Sensei we didn't mean to disturb you. Mikey, Donny, Venus and I were just having a discussion about how to best help out Raph is all.” 

Splinter's whiskers twitched, and his hand gripped his cane tightly. 

“My children, we are done with the fighting. This arguing between all of us is exactly what the Shredder wants. If we are fighting then we are not focusing on what really matters, which is stopping whatever evil scheme our enemies are coming up with. Now, you five need to figure out how to work as a team again, whatever it takes.” 

Leo opened his mouth to say something which Splinter stopped with a look. 

“That's enough Leonardo. Now, if you four are done with this fighting I have another child that I need to speak too.” 

“Master Splinter why don't you-” 

“Are you questioning my order's Mei? I'm sure your father would be most disappointed in you lack of respect for me the past few months.” 

Venus bowed her head, trying to hold back the tears forming. Mikey and Donny exchanged a quick look before both placing hands on the Shinobi's shoulders, bowing their heads towards their father. Splinter sighed, he hadn't wanted to cause anymore misery for anyone, but the way they were all acting lately was starting to make him lose it. 

“I think we will all be better once we can leave the events of the past months behind us. We all need to heal, both physically and mentally. Now, I believe it is time for breakfast?” 

Mikey nodded, smiling over at his siblings. 

“I'm making waffles with all the trimmings come on guys!” 

He ran back towards the kitchen, leaving Venus looking at Donny apprehensively. 

“If he puts anything gross on there promise me you'll make me a shake.” 

Donny nodded in agreement before grabbing both Venus and Leo and dragging them to the kitchen. Splinter sighed again, knowing the hardest part was yet to come. 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

_He knocked on his son's door, knowing by the noises inside that Raphael was crying. His second eldest didn't cry much-having found out years ago that the water from his tears would cause the red in his bandanna to bleed._

_Instead, he usually used his fists when he was upset, a trait which annoyed Splinter to know end. Tonight though, he wished that he had seen those fists coming out. It was easier than knowing he had completely devastated his young son with his decision._

_Knocking again, he quietly creaked open the door, letting his eyes adjust to the light before entering. His years of training allowed him to locate his son quickly, wrapped up in a blanket in the corner of his room. He sunk down next to Raph, trying to figure out the right words to say._

“ _I guess I'm just not good enough am I?”_

“ _What do you mean Raphael?”_

“ _I mean, I train hard, I work out, I read just as much as he does, but it's never enough. Why am I always the second best? Why can't I ever be first?”_

_Splinter's heart seized as he remembered the words that another man had spoken years ago, one that he had called his brother. He gathered Raphael in his arms, no small feet now that the turtle was beginning to grow into himself._

“ _My child, don't waste your time comparing yourself to other's._ _It is a dangerous trap that has lead to the downfall of many. You four all have gifts, and I believe that Leonardo's is to lead. It is not an easy role I have given him, and I need you to support him.”_

_Raph sniffed in his father's arms, wiping his eyes carefully. Splinter continued, hoping that he wasn't screwing this up._

“ _No matter what happens Raphael, you are my son, a gift more precious to me than anything else I could get. I know you are upset right now, but no matter what you do I will always love and protect you to the best of my ability.”_

_Raphael laid in his father's arms for awhile, not saying anything. Finally, he silently slid back, wiping his eyes and adjusting his bandanna. Splinter smiled gently at him, kissing his son on the top of his head before getting up and leaving Raph to collect himself._

 

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

 

Splinter stood in front of his son's door, debating how best to address him. Finally he knocked, knowing that his son would let him in. Sure enough, after a moment he heard noises and the door opened. The room was dark, but he knew exactly where his son would be. The old rat hobbled in, shutting the door before carefully sitting on the floor. 

Raphael ignored him, but Splinter knew he was waiting to hear from his father. The old rat closed his eyes, willing himself to say something wise that would fix everything. He placed a shaking hand on his sons' shoulder, leaning in to whisper his name. 

“Raphael...” 

That was all it took. His temper driven, mad at the world, angry son was crying, silent sobs that shook his whole body and made him gasp for air. Splinter didn't know what to do, the last time he had comforted his son like this had been years ago. Finally, Raphael stopped himself long enough to catch his breath, even though he was still shaking. 

“Raphael, my son, my son.” 

Splinter whispered, pulling his son as close as possible. 

“I should have told you so long ago how proud I am of you. You tried so hard to help, and I was blinded by my fears and hatred instead of helping you grow your clan. I knew you were always destined to make your own path, and I should have helped you find it.” 

Splinter rubbed Raphael's' shell, hoping he was giving his son a little bit of comfort. 

“I should have told you that no matter what you've done, no matter where you go, my love for you, for all of you, is unconditional. That I would be here for you always, even when I seem to be far away and not listening to you.” 

The two of them sat there for a bit, father and son, until Mikey knocked on the door, asking them if they would like any breakfast.

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

A/n: Not much to say, except a small disclaimer that I don't own TMNT or Gilmore Girls which there is a small quote taken from. Enjoy  
After finally getting Raphael to talk to him, and mending fences between them, Master Splinter had approached his daughter and asked her for help in mending the relationship between his two sons, which Venus quickly agreed too, wanting to mend her relationships with both boys herself.  
Not wanting to appear as if she was taking sides, she spoke to both Donny and Mikey, asking for suggestions on how to approach the subject with the two of them. The three younger siblings came up with a plan, now they just had to put it in action…  
"Hey Raphie, what's going on?"  
Mikey asked, bouncing into the kitchen. Raph was staring at the fridge, frowning as he debated on his snack.  
"Hey, you wanna spar? Master Splinter finally gave me back my chucks again!"  
Mikey asked, pulling out his weapons and grinning. Raph shook his head slightly in response, causing Mikey to frown. Determined to get his brother's attention, he jumped up on the kitchen island and sat cross-legged, leaning forward to peer over his older brother's shoulder.  
“Do you want me to punch you in the face?”  
Raph growled, leering at his brother.  
"Listen Raph, if it would help you go back to normal, I would gladly do it."  
Mikey said sadly, pulling away for his brother. Raph blinked, looking at the other turtle in surprise.  
"Do you know how hard this has been for me? You're my best friend, and one day you just… disappeared. You found a bunch of new friends and left me here alone, and then you came back and you barely talk to me anymore. Why can't I help you? You always turned to me before why can't you now?"  
Raph blinked, not knowing what to say to his little brother. Mikey slid off the island, heading back to his room to regroup. Venus stopped him on his way, looking at him in concern.  
"Mikey? What's wrong?"  
She asked as she gently wiped a tear off of his face. She was ignored, watching in concern as the orange bandanna turtle ducked around her and slunk into his room in silence. She watched him go, fists clenched in anger.  
Marching down the hallway, she swept into the kitchen, grabbing a chair and leaving the room with it. She appeared again to grab another chair, leaving with it also before returning and addressing Raph, who was watching her in shock.  
"You. My room now."  
She stated firmly before sweeping into the dojo where Donny and Leo were in the middle of a session with their Sensei. Splinter raised an eyebrow at her, not used to seeing his usually composed daughter so distressed. Venus bowed deeply before addressing the elder rat, trying to control her tone of voice out of respect.  
"Master Splinter, I'm sorry to interrupt but I need to take Leonardo for a bit."  
Splinter tilted his head at her request, looking over at his sons for a minute and nodding.  
"Once this is over, you make take him, I'm sure Donatello would like a break from sparring with his brother anyway."  
Venus nodded, standing and watching the two boys. Since Raph had stopped sparring with Leo consistently, the eldest of the turtles had spent more time focusing on his other brother's training, and the results had been remarkable.  
Venus witnessed that now when Leo attempted to back flip over Donny to attack him from behind, only to be met with the back end of Donny's Bo Staff. Leo managed to get away, but Donny was able to get him off guard log enough to pin him, smiling down at his eldest brother in triumph while Leo groaned. Splinter called the match, and Donny let his brother up, nodding at Venus while he stretched.  
"Well done, my sons. Leonardo, you must work on your awareness at all times. Donatello was able to win because you think you know how he fights, and you were unable to respond when he did something different. Donatello, you did well with your counter strikes but you continue to not use your weaker leg when needed. That extra step to plant your preferred way could be the difference between a hit and a miss."  
Both boys nodded, bowing at their sensei.  
"Donatello, you will stay here with me and practice. Leonardo, you will go with Venus, she has requested your help with an issue."  
Leo nodded, bowing again with his brother before smiling at the Shinobi.  
"What can I help you with V?"  
He asked, wiping his face with a wet towel to help cool off. Venus didn't answer, choosing instead to hook two fingers under Leo's mask and drag him away while Splinter and Donny watched in concern and slight amusement.  
She opened up the door to her room, nodding at Raph who was sitting cautiously on her mediation mat. Pulling Leo inside, she pointed at a chair for him to sit in, then did the same to Raph. She stood in between the two, arms crossed as she glared at them.  
Raph sighed, folding his own arms and glaring at the wall, Leo quickly following suite. After a few minutes, Venus started chuckling, covering her face with both hands as she tried to contain herself. The two boys looked at her in alarm, not knowing what was wrong with her. Venus continued to laugh, wiping the tears from her eyes.  
"I never thought I'd actually have to do this."  
She whispered, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. She settled on her bed, sitting cross legged and stretching herself out to appear taller than she actually was.  
"This feud between the two of you ends now. I am tired of being a go-between, of having to watch what I say in case one of you is offended. I'm tired of being angry, of not being a team, of suffering because you both chose to act like children."  
Both boys opened their mouths at that remark, ready to defend themselves to her.  
"I don't care. You two are brothers. You are family, as we all are. Talk, don't talk, argue, punch each others lights outs, whatever it takes to make this get better."  
Raph stood up, ready to walk out the door when Venus stopped him with a look. He settled back in, knowing that when Venus was serious about something, she wouldn't back down until it was done. Leo remained immobile, attempting to block out his surroundings so he wouldn't have to participate in this adventure at all.  
Venus glanced at the clock, silently checking the time. When 10 minutes passed ad neither of them said a thing, she stood back up, stretching.  
"I'm going for a walk. I'll be back in half an hour to check on you two, let me see you make some progress."  
With that she slipped out of the room, shutting the door firmly on her way out. Venus stood outside the door, exhaling slowly before she left to go find Mikey. The youngest of the group had decided to settle in on the couch, watching one of his favorite shows. Venus tapped him on the shoulder before leaning over and giving him a hug.  
"Is there room for one more?"  
She asked, smiling at him. Mikey nodded, patting the seat next to him. Venus sat down, looking over at the TV for a minute before breaking into another laughing fit. Mikey looked at her, blinking at her in confusion.  
"I've locked those two in a room, and they are either coming out reconciled or in a body bag and believe me I'm find either way."  
Venus managed to stutter out between giggles, causing Mikey to start laughing too. The two friends relaxed together, enjoying a moment.  
"Somebody has been watching way to much Gilmore Girls."  
Mikey teased her when they finally stopped, winking at her and smiling.  
"I know, I can't help but love a good dramedy."  
Venus responded, leaning back against the couch. Mikey watched her for a minute before asking  
"Did you really lock them up somewhere?"  
Venus nodded, frowning as she looked over at the clock.  
"I've decided that' it's time to throw caution to the wind and get them talking gain. I know that's not what we decided on but I'll take the blame if it backfires."  
Mikey nodded, pointing at the TV screen.  
"Want to watch some mindless entertainment with me?"  
"Of course!"  
Venus smiled, winking at him while she slyly stole the remote.  
xxxix  
Leo stared at the wall, counting seconds in his head and wondering how long he could hold out without talking. His ninja training taught him how to stay completely still for long periods of time, but if there was one thing he knew with certainty it was that Raph could out stubborn him with little issue. Tracing his finger along a newly formed bruise on his left arm he sighed internally before speaking.  
"Donny beat me in a sparring match today."  
Raph ignored him for a few, making Leo wonder if he actually did not speak at all. Finally, Raph answered in a casual, breezy tone, almost as if he was speaking to a stranger.  
"You getting out of shape in your old age?"  
"No, I'm getting out of shape because my sparring partner won't look at me anymore."  
Raph's head snapped up, looking over at Leo with a raised eyebrow.  
"You and I have had more fights over the years than I care to know about. I know one of the biggest failures of my life is not being able to connect with you and help you understand my point of view. Through all of it, the fighting, the yelling, everything, you've never shut me out like you are now. I don't know how to fix this. I don't know how to make this better, how to help you through what you are dealing with if you won't talk to me."  
Raph rolled his eyes at that, sliding down in the chair and propping his feet up to show his annoyance. Leo stood up angrily, pushing the chair out of his way in his march to the door.  
"This is pointless. If you don't care about fixing anything, then I won't care either. Good luck getting out of this funk, I hope you're happy right now."  
He snarled, opening the door and leaving the Raph alone in the room. Venus and Mikey were in the living room along with Master Splinter and Donny watching a show when Leo came storming out past them on his way to the dojo. Mikey glanced over at his sister before smiling sadly.  
"I didn't realize that stomping around the lair was an option?"  
Venus glared at him before getting off the couch, ready to go drag their leader back into the room. Donny stopped her, pointing silently down the hall.  
"Raph hasn't left yet, give them a few minutes to breathe and see what happens."  
"Yea V, we still got half a show to watch let's finish and deal with this then."  
Mikey suggested, already engrossed back in the show. Venus sighed and plopped back down on the couch, pulling the bowl of popcorn off Mikey's lap before eating it herself. Right before the last scene Raph appeared, standing silently behind Mikey and Venus, startling the former so much that he dumped the remaining popcorn in his lap.  
"Jeez Raph, give a guy a heart attack will ya?"  
Mikey grumbled, wiping the crumbs off his plastron. Raph half-smirked at that before glancing around the room.  
"Where's Leo?"  
Venus looked up at that question, as did Donny and Mikey. All three pointed towards the dojo, watching silently as Raph disappeared through the doors. Master Splinter smiled softly, rising to wish his three youngest children good night before exiting to his own room.  
"So… what now?"  
Mikey asked, looking over at the other two. Venus looked at Donny who shrugged.  
"I say give them a few minutes then we take turns checking on them to see what is going on."  
Donny suggested, rubbing his forehead as a headache began. Venus nodded, tossing Donny the remote so he could pick the next show.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Leo was running through a kata when Raph entered the dojo, picking up his sais and twirling them while staring at his older brother.  
"What do you want Raph, I'm not in the mood."  
Leo said, getting into a ready stance. Raph didn't answer, instead he ran at his brother full force, deflecting Leo's first strike with his sais. Managing to slide under Leo's swing he stood, readjusting his sais while Leo came at him.  
They continued to exchange blows, neither one wanting to admit that they had been getting soft lately. For what seemed like hours they went back and forth, giving each other breaks and making off handed remarks for improvements.  
Neither noticed the audience they had gained, the other three floating in and out of the dojo to make sure that things weren't getting out of hand. Finally, Raph slipped, and Leo managed to pin him, kneeling down next to his younger brother as the red-wearing turtle struggled to catch his breath. Remember that Raph was still recovering from his injuries, Leo helped him up, trying not to stare at the still healing marks on his brother's face from when he had smashed the mirror.  
"They're still there even if you choose to ignore them Leo."  
Raph stated calmly, running his fingers over his face. Leo continued to look away, not wanting to admit that Raph was right.  
"I don't like looking at them alright. I can't believe that you would do something so-"  
Leo stopped himself, not wanting to say what he was thinking.  
"Were you going to say stupid?"  
Raph asked, looking over at Leo and waiting.  
"Yes I was, but I'm not allowed to say that because it might hurt you feelings and affect you while you healing and I don't want to be blamed for that too."  
Leo replied, allowing a little bitterness to enter his voice at the end. Raph snorted, rolling his eyes for empathizes.  
"Never knew you to be scared of hurting my feelings Leo. You've said a lot worse than that to me over the past months. Well, before your big trip to China at least."  
He commented, staring at Leo straight in the eyes.  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"  
Leo asked, subconsciously gripping his katana tighter.  
"Do the words 'you are destroying this family' mean anything to you?"  
Raph asked, watching as the sentence triggered something in Leo's brain that caused him to stop talking altogether.  
"I knew from the beginning that none of you supported what I was doing. The other three tried to hide their concerns by acting like they cared but you couldn't even do that. Every little thing that happened to this family while I was dealing with my clan was my fault, even if I wasn't here. I worked hard to protect us all by dealing with the local gangs and helping pull kids out of the gutters that society was throwing them into, and I got no thanks for it. I didn't need it, but at the least I could have used someone telling me that I was trying to make a difference instead of the continuous crap that you gave me."  
Raph snarled, marching out of the dojo and leaving Leo alone.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Leo grunted under the weight of the trash bag he was carrying, trying to shift it into a better position. His shoulder hurt, a result of the fight they had gotten into last night with a few members of the Foot while on patrol.  
A hand reached out to help him, and Leo turned to smile at his brother in thanks. Raph nodded back, lifting up his own bag and following his older brother. It had been almost two weeks since their fight in the dojo, and while they still were not talking much, the tension between them had soften a bit. Splinter had ordered his children out of the lair with garbage bags, insisting that they stalk the streets at night and pick up trash.  
The lesson was two-fold- the less trash on the streets met less in their sewers, and they could practice their skills darting around the city picking things up without being seen. Leo was enjoying himself, glad to be out of the lair and back in the streets with his whole family.  
While things had been relatively calm on the surface the past few months, the family knew that it was only a matter of time before the Foot would rear their heads up and attempt to go after them again. Leo pushed those thoughts out of his mind before handing his trash bag to Donny who was piling them up in the back of the Hummer.  
Venus and Mikey were at a different spot with April and Casey, cleaning up around April's neighborhood. The two humans were working on graffiti while the turtles practiced their stealth skills, taking turns checking in on Shadow who was sleeping peacefully in her dad's apartment.  
The two turtles would appear behind Casey, enjoying making the older man squeal in surprise when they startled him.  
Finally he had enough, and grabbed Mikey right before the youngest turtle jumped him yet again. The two wrestled on the ground for a bit, Venus and April chuckling at them. Leo pulled up in the Hummer after a few minutes, shaking his head at the two on the ground.  
"Nobody told me it was tackle Mikey day."  
Raph commented, jumping in to grab his brother in a head lock, much to the delight of Casey. Mikey yelped in protest, causing Donny and Leo to both jump in to defend their brother. Venus shook her head, glad that the boys were on the road to getting normal again. Once the wrestling match was done, she addressed Leo.  
"Did you guys have any luck getting rid of those trash bags?"  
"Yea, we found some empty dumpster space a couple of streets down, we figured that since the trash is being picked up in a few hours it was safe."  
Donny commented, rubbing at a scratch on his arm. Leo looked around at his family and grinned.  
"Well guys, I think we did pretty good tonight… what do you say we clean up and head home?"  
His suggestion was met with cheers, and after a few good nights the group split up and went to their own homes.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Akira sat on the roof, watching as the group below finished talking with each other. His eyes were trained on one figure in particular, the man he had once called his brother. Once he realized that the turtles were back out on the street, he had started stalking them, looking for any opportunity to get his former 'leader' alone.  
Akira touched his neck, feeling once again the scars that had been left by his Master, The Shredder. The master of ninjitzu had not been pleased when Raphael had turned down the spot as his head lieutenant after Akira had lobbied so hard for the turtle to join them, and he took out his displeasure on anyone who was associated with the former clan.  
Akira's closest friend Hinata had been the most recent recipient of Shredder's disapproval, and Akira had barely made it to the ER in time to save the young man's life. Akira was still haunting the hospital, floating in and out of his room to check on his friend, paying for the bill with as much as he could afford with money he had gotten from years of being part of the Foot.  
He checked his watch knowing that there would be a change in staff soon that would allow him to sneak into his friends room more easily. He glanced once more down at the group below him, noting in satisfaction how Leonardo glanced around, as if looking for him but not being able to find him.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I realize that my characterizations may be confusing. Most of the elements of my story will come from the 2012 version, with a few exceptions. Mostly Venus of course, because she was not in this version, but Hun, who has a brief appearance, will be the 2003 counterpart. Please enjoy, and thank you for continuing to read.

The room was dead silent as dozens of teenagers lined up, waiting for the appearance of their Master. Akira stood at the head of the room, staring straight ahead, ignoring the searing pain in his left leg from his last sparring match with The Shredder.

His master's temper had not let up in the weeks after putting several of his men in the hospital, and the disappearance of several more. Any imperfection in a subordinate was not tolerated in his sight, and while the current group in the room was mere Purple Dragons, that would not stop the ninja master from doling out punishment as seen fit.

Now, Hun, the leader of the Purple Dragons, approached, bowing his head slightly to Akira. The tall blond man stood as straight as he could, his own at his appearance, the rest of the Purple Dragons quieted down, lowering their bodies in a bow at the approach of the Shredder.

The man once known as Oroku Saki stared at the group, frowning at several in turn. Akira walked up slowly to his Master, wincing internally as he bowed and then pulled out a piece of paper.

"The four members of the East Side robbery last night, step forward."

Slowly, four young men appeared from the crowd, falling to their knees in front of The Shredder. He did not look at any of them, instead standing in front of the crowd as a king in front of a group of peasants who is deciding their fate.

Akira continued to read from his script, loud and clear so everyone could hear him.

"You are charged with falling to complete your mission. The four of you were unable to secure access to the TCRI building, which post pones the next phase of our plan. The second charge is cowardness. When confronted by one of the turtles, you four choose to run instead of fighting and subduing him and bring him back to The Shredder for disposal."

Akira stopped, reading the next line to himself before continuing.

"These acts are considered treason, and the punishment for treason shall be banishment or death by execution."

Akira slowly lowered the paper, bowing to his master before stepping back. The four on the floor immediately started pleading for their lives, knowing that without the protection of The Purple Dragons and The Foot that they would be quickly destroyed on the streets.

Shredder ignored them, staring straight ahead as they begged and pleaded and carried on. Finally, he cut his eyes to Akira, who nodded at several enforcers standing to the side to drag the teens away, still screaming and pleading for their lives. Shredder waited for them to leave before turning and addressing the rest of the crowd.

"The roads that life has given you have not been easy. I have pulled many of you off the streets, out of the jails, from homes where you are beaten and abused. I gave you food, a home, a family, and in return, I expect your loyalty to me, your father, your sensei, your savior."

Shredder turned sharply, looking straight at Akira as he spoke again.

"Disobedience comes with penalties, but they serve to make us stronger. Strength protects us from others who would do us harm. My old enemy's the Hamato Clan tried to raise me in dishonor as one of their own after Hamato Yuta killed my father, Oroku Kaiji. They failed in their mission, and now it is mine to bring down what remains of that dishonorable clan."

Akira bowed his head, trying to conceal how rapidly his heart was beating.

"I serve those four up as an example of what happens to those who choose to betray me, in hopes that it will strengthen your loyalty to the one who rescued you, the one who cares about you."

The teens surrounding them bowed and slowly disappeared, leaving only Hun and Akira.

"Master, may I implement some more training protocols to insure that this does not happen again? Perhaps cut a few more members whose loyalty is questionable?"

Hun asked, taking care to not be within easy striking distance of his angry leader.

"Do what you think is best, but remember that the actions of your crew reflect poorly on you as well Hun."

Shredder threatened, thrusting out his arm so the blades on his gauntlet barely missed Hun's face. Hun paled, bowing and backing up quickly to get out of range, leaving Akira alone. Shredder eyed his lieutenant, enjoying watching him squirm in discomfort.

"I was told you were spying on the turtles a few nights ago. Tell me, do you miss your old 'friend' Raphael?"

He questioned, and Akira winced.

"I'm disappointed that he did not join us Master Shredder, and I am waiting for the right time to take him out"

Akira muttered, closing his eyes and waiting for his Master's strike. Instead, he felt two hands, one on both of his shoulders, and looked up to see Shredder staring at him in what seemed to be almost fatherly concern.

"My student, those four turtles were raised by a master of deception. Hamato Yoshi is unable to distinguish between a lie and the truth, it has been that way since we were both young. HE has trained his pupils well in these arts, and they have become masters of them. You must let go of any loyalty you may feel towards this reptile, and remember who it is that you have sworn your allegiance too, or the consequences may be… unfortunate."

Akira bowed, hoping to show his master his allegiance.

"Good. Now, Karai will be back from her trip to Japan soon. I expect you to greet her and take her under your wing and find a way to rid us of those thorns in our sides quickly."

Shredder studied him a minute, as if trying to read his mind.

"Make me proud, my son."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Yea boys, Mikey is the all star champion of games!"

Mikey yelled, waving his arms around as his brothers groaned.

"Yeah Mikey, great playing, how did you cheat this time?"

Raph asked, throwing his cards down in disgust. Leo and Donny followed suit, looking over at the orange bandana wearing turtle in annoyance.

"I didn't cheat, it's not my fault tht you four don't know how to play Rummy like a boss!"

Mikey jumped up on his chair, preening the glory of his latest victory. Raph grabbed him by the back of the shell, yanking his youngest brother back down to the floor with a crash. The three eldest laughed while Mikey pouted on the floor, only to start beaming when Venus appeared and offered him a hand up.

"You three need to learn to be gracious losers."

She commented, smiling at Mikey and winking.

"Thanks babe, I appreciate the backup."

Mikey told her while the other three rolled their eyes in annoyance. Venus smiled at him before settling down in her own chair.

"What are you guys playing?"

"Just playing some card game, we just finished a round of rummy you want in?"

Donny asked, offering Venus a bowl of popcorn. Venus smiling before shaking her head no.

"Actually, April called m. Casey is working tonight and she wanted to know if I wanted to come over and have a girl's night with her and Shadow. Unless of course you need more for a patrol tonight?"

She asked Leo, raising a brow at their leader. The eldest turtle shook his head, smiling.

"No I'd think that we can afford to take a night off. How abot you take Donny with you? He's been wanting to check out the water heater anyway and make sure it's still working."

Venus rolled her eyes., seeing right through Leo's blaringly obvious lie.

"It's funny how nothing in April's house is wrong until I want to go there by myself. I thought we talked about this Leo."

Leo shrugged before looking around and smiling.

"Fine, if that's how it's going to be I'll take Raph with me."

Venus said, looking over at him.

"I know he'll sulk around for a few minutes and leave, Donny will keep finding things to do until he leaves the same time I do."

Donny frowned at this portrayal of his character, unable to protest because she was right. Mikey frowned too, mostly because he would have preferred to be the one who left the lair tonight. Knowing Leo, no patrol meant that they would spend hours in the dojo practicing and practicing, something he was not in the mood for. Venus noticed his look and patted the youngest on the shoulder.

"Don't worry Mikey, I'll take you another time, I promise."

Mikey turned his baby blue eyes to her, pouting as only he could. Venus sighed, rubbing her hands over her eyes before saying"

"you four do understand the meaning of girl's night right?"

Mikey whooped in response, running out of the room to pick pout a movie to bring with him.

XXXXXXXXX

Trudging through the sewers was always a pleasant experience, but with the increase of Foot activity Master Splinter had thought it best to limit the amount of time they were in their vehicles. Except for times they were out picking up trash, Splinter kept the keys in his room, encouraging his children to walk around don foot.

Mikey bounced ahead while Venus and Raph hung back, laughing as the other turtle enjoyed his time away from the watchful eyes of Leo and Master Splinter..

"Do you think April will want to see my new trick with my chucks?"

Mikey asked, pulling out his weapons with a smile.

"You mean the one where you spin the around so fast that you lose control and end up taking out something in the room?" I'm sure she'd be thrilled?"

Raph teased, rubbing his hand on Mikey's head affection ally. Mikey beamed at his older brother. It had been so long since Raph had acted like himself, and even though this renewed attitude also brought back the anger issues, it also brought back the traits that had made Raph his best friend when they were younger. Venus smiled at the two before linking her arm with Mikey's.

"I'm sure April would love to see what you've learned Mikey, but perhaps we wait until we have a little more space around us?"

She suggested, trying to be diplomatic. Raph snorted, causing both of his siblings to look at him.

"Yea, maybe in the middle of a desert wasteland while we all stand at least a mile away."

Venus chuckled, and even Mikey had to smile at his brother while he tried to keep his pout going.

"You know what will happen Mikey. You'll show April your moves and Shadow will want to learn them, and then you'll spend the whole night training her instead of watching movies and eating popcorn like you wanted too."

Venus reminded him.

"I guess you're right. I'll just have to practice more until I get it right is all."

Mikey said, slowing as they approached the manhole cover. Raph pushed the other two aside, climbing the ladder to stick his head out and look around carefully. Seeing nothing, he pushed the cover up and quickly climbed out, followed by Venus and Mikey. The three turtles disappeared into the darkness of the alleyway, quietly climbing up onto the roofs to get to their friends house.

April smiled as the window opened and the three turtles climbed inside.

"Venus, I didn't know you had your own posse."

She teased, hugging all three turtles in turn. Venus met the woman's eyes and shook her head. It was a well-worn joke between the two women about not being able to go anywhere without an escort, and sometimes Venus wanted to scream in annoyance.

"Well, Mikey wanted to come hang out with Shadow, and I thought that I would give Raph a night off of training with Leo."

April smiled, looking over the red bandana wearing turtle carefully.

"How are you feeling Raph?"

She asked quietly, watching out of the corner of her eye as Venus grabbed Mikey and left the room.

"Better."

He answered, looking April dead in the eyes. She enveloped him in a hug, rocking back and forth for a moment.

"Don't scare me like that ever again. I don't know what I would have done if we had lost you."

April whispered, and Raph nodded, letting the red-haired woman cry on shoulder in relief.

Mikey glanced over at Raph and April talking before looking back at Venus.

"Is that why you asked Raph to come with you? Because you knew April would want to see him?"

Venus nodded, plopping down on April's couch.

"It's been a rough couple of months for all of us, and it's time to heal some of the wounds that exist in our family."

"You got that right. I'm just glad that things are getting back to normal around here."

Mikey said, putting his feet up on April's coffee table.

"Mikey, if you break that, April's going to have your head."

Venus reminded him, giving her brother a quick tap on the back of the head.

"Yes mom, I'll be careful."

Mikey teased, right before Venus hit him in the face with a pillow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Akira paced on the rooftop, debating what to do. He had been stalking outside the O'Neil apartment for months, waiting for the perfect time to find Raphael and pull him aside to talk to him. The time was growing more urgent, with each passing hour Shredder was coming up with more reasons to destroy the whole city just to find and kill the reptile that had tried to take away his clan.

Indeed, he had tasked Akira with finding Raphael and bringing him in front of the Foot Clan, and had given Akira the 'honor' of destroying him once that happened.

Karai would be back in town in a few hours, and she will be his constant companion, and he would not get another chance to try to convince Raph to change his mind.

Debating his options, he pulled out a small dart gun, aiming it at April's apartment before sending a dart right to her window.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N:Thanks everyone who is reading this I appreciate it so much!!!  
The sounds of something smacking the window stopped the conversation in April's apartment abruptly as all five occupations snapped their heads towards the noise.  
"Ms. April, what's that?"  
Shadow asked, pointing at the object that was sticking to the glass. Raph silently walked over, opening up the window and grabbing the dart, looking directly across at the roof where he could see the outline of someone standing and waiting. Snarling, he unwound the piece of parchment wrapped around it, reading it quickly before paling.  
Mikey and Venus watched him, worried as he scooped up his Sai and disappeared into the night. A quick glance between the two remaining turtles and Mikey followed, leaving Venus alone with April and Shadow. The Shinobi quickly picked up her shell cell and called Donny, relating what had happened so Donny could start tracking.  
Glancing at the scared child in front of her, she attempted to smile gently at her.  
"Uncle Mikey and Uncle Raph will be back in a bit. How about we start some popcorn and order some pizza?"  
She suggested, patting Shadow on the head. The young girl nodded, sniffling to hold back her tears.  
"Come on Shadow, let's pick out a pizza before Uncle Mikey gets back and wants to put marshmallows on it."  
April said, pulling the young girl into the kitchen while Venus waited by the door for her other brothers to show up.  
XXXXXXXXX  
Mikey jumped off the fire stairs, looking around to see where his brother had gone. Not seeing anything he frowned, looking back up at April's window to try to guess where the arrow had come from. Tracing an angle with his fingers, he picked a rooftop not too far ahead and quickly ran down the alleyway, appearing briefly on the streets before disappearing a few doors down.  
He jumped up that ladder as stealthy as he could, poking his head up as he looked to see if his brother was there. Off to the right stood Raph, arms crossed impatiently as he obviously waited for someone. Mikey debated the options in his mind before deciding that revealing himself was probably the best route to go.  
"Hey Raph, what's going on?"  
He whispered, watching as the other turtle jumped in surprise at his voice.  
"Mikey! What the hell are you doing up here?"  
He snapped, looking in annoycance at his little brother.  
"Y dude chill, I just wanted to see if you needed any help. You left before anyone could ask you about that note."  
Mikey replied, hoping his hands up as he backed away from his angry brother. Raph sighed, lowering his head and rubbing a hand across his face.  
"You don't need to worry about me little brother I'm fine."  
"No you're not dude! We just got you back I don't want to lose you again!"  
"You're not going to lose me Mikey, I just need to take care of something but if you insist on being here fine."  
Raph pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to his little brother, watching as Mikey read it over.  
"Sounds like they've been having a rough time over there lately."  
Was all he could say before handing the paper back to him.  
"He's putting people in the hospital or killing them because he thinks they are still allegiant to me and the Clan I started. Why would he do this I don't understand."  
"Because you turned him down. No one does that and lives to tell the tale."  
A voice interrupted, and Mikey and Raph both whipped around to see Akira standing there along with another man who had definitely been seeing better days. Raph gasped at seeing him, and Mikey looked at him in confusion before looking back at the other two.  
"Who is that Raphie? I mean, I know Akira but who is that other guy there?"  
"Hinata."  
Raph answered, not taking his eyes off the other two as Akira helped his friend to the wall where he could rest.  
"Raphael-san, you must listen to me. The Shredder is on a war path, and soon we are all going to be destroyed. He wants you, more than I have ever seen him want anyone else. You must come with me and pledge your allegiance to The Foot, it's the only way to save your family."  
"Are you insane? You think I'd swear allegiance to anyone who would attack or kill my family? What the hell is wrong with you?"  
Raph snapped, pulling out both of his Sai's.  
"Raphael-san, please. You have to save u, there's no other way!"  
Akira begged, looking down at his friend. Mikey couldn't help but take pity on the young man who obviously should be in the hospital and knelt down next to him, checking his bandages and opening up the small first aid kit they all carried hidden in case of emergencies. Akira watched this exchange, waiting to see if the turtle would harm his friend.  
"You lost your shot to be safe with the Shredder Akira. You could have come to me, tod me what was going on and I could have helped you. Do you think I wanted to loose all of you? Do you think I wanted to be humiliated and attacked by that man. This is the path you chose, don't ask me for help anymore."  
Raph snapped, felling his blood starting to boil. Akira blinked, slowly digusting the worlds of his former leader.  
"Raphael I am… sorry. I should have realized that you would be unwilling to help us. Hinata, get up, we need to go"  
"He can't go anywhere."  
Mikey announced, picking up the sick man in his arms.  
"He can barely stand right now. We need to take him to April's Donny and Leo are on their way."  
Raph groaned, slapping himself in the head.  
"Well, it's not like they don't know where she lives right?"  
Mikey continued before turning to Akira.  
"You may come, but you touch a member of my family and I will take you out myself."  
Akira debated with himself before nodding and following the group off the rooftop. Venus blinked in surprise at her phone before frowning.  
"That was Mikey. They're coming back with someone who's injured, he wants you to take Shadow down to the lair in case something happens."  
April nodded, quickly gathering up a few things. And kneeling in front of her soon to be step-daughter.  
"Hey sweetie, you and I are going to go see Master Splinter ok? We will have to do movie day another time."  
Shadow pouted before nodding, knowing that something big must be going on for her step-mom to change plans like that. April patted the young girl on the arm before grabbing their go bags.  
"Leo and Donny will be here in a minute. Leo will meet you at the entrance and take you back to the lair."  
April nodded, picking up the bag of popcorn from the counter and offering the other two girls a bite. She then took Shadow by the hand and followed Venus quietly down the stairs.  
After the guys had figured out the tunnel systems attached to April's building they had built a trap door so they could come and go without being spotted as much. It also gave them another way out if they were ever attacked while visiting, and several times it had been a lifesaver.  
April waited now with Shadow and Venus for the door to open, and smiled when Leo gestured for her quickly before disappearing back into the darkness.  
"Are they here yet?"  
Donny asked Venus, brushing off the dust on his arms.  
"I don't know, I waited down here with the girls to make sure they were safe. They weren't here when I left that's all I know."  
Venus replied, following Donny up the stairs to April's apartment. Donny cautiously opened the door, calling out to his brother's quietly. When there was no answer, he opened the door wider and walked in, opening up his duffle bag and getting his things ready.  
"Can you boil some water for me? I need to clean a few things, and I brought your herb bag also."  
Donny handed Venus her satchel, and she quickly placed it on the counter while she filled up a put to boil the water in. A quick tap on the window made her pause, and she hurried over to let the group in. Mikey came first, carrying Hiinata, who was slowly fading in and out of consciousness.  
Akira came next, followed by Raph, who had both of his Sai's at the ready. Donny barely gave the other two a glance before getting to work on his patient. With Venus's help, he carefully cut away the bandage, looking over the cuts quizzically.  
"It looks like these were fixed up by a professional. What exactly happened?"  
Akira looked straight ahead, rattling of the answer like he was responding to a drill sergeant.  
"He has been in the hospital for a week. When I realized that he was not safe there, I took him and hid him so he could heal properly."  
Donny nodded, muttering to himself.  
"Was he on an IV or antibiotics or anything?""  
Akira nodded, producing a small bottle.  
"The doctor gave me these when he checked out, but he's missed several doses."  
Donny nodded, looking over the cuts again.  
"He's got a massive staph infection, he really needs to be back at the hospital."  
"That's not an option, Shredder is looking for him, and he has men stationed at all the local hospitals."  
Venus had finished cutting away the last bandage and she couldn't help but wince at how deep and nasty the wound looked.  
"Did he have any other injuries we need to know about?"  
She asked, reaching into her bag to pull out something.  
"Bruised spleen, a couple of cracked ribs, that's about it."  
Akira answered, eyeing his former friend carefully. Raphael had started pacing, obviously trying to contain whatever outburst he was about to have. Venus and Donny talked for a minute before Venus got up to make a paste.  
Mikey had been busy sterilizing the tools Donny would need, and he brought them out now, spread out on a clean kitchen towel. Donny thanked him, before quietly asking Mikey to tend to their other brother.  
Venus came back out then, having found the turmeric she was looking for. She applied the paste to several of the wound, while Donny inspected and cleaned out the rest.  
"This one is going to have to be fixed, I'm surprised it hasn't started bleeding yet."  
Donny muttered, pointing to a cut on the arm. He looked quickly up at Raph.  
"Can I borrow one of your Sai's so he has something to bite down on?"  
Raph handed the weapon to his brother, making sure to keep an eye on Akira. Donny shoved the handle of the weapon into his patient's mouth while Venus smeared some herbs on him to help lessen the pain.  
"I'm going to need some help holding him down guys, this is going to hurt."  
Donny said, looking at the other three.  
"I will help, he is my brother after all."  
Akira said, stepping forward to kneel next to them.  
"What do you need me to do?"  
"Venus will hold down his head to make sure he doesn't bite off his tongue. I need you to hold down his legs so he doesn't try to buck me off. Raph and Mikey, you're on standby just in case."  
Donny waited until everyone was settled before gently beginning to stitch up the wound. Once it was done, they all stepped back while Donny checked the patient's vitals.  
"He's breathing pretty well, his heart beats fast but it's slowly going down."  
He gently tapped down the chest, trying to feel if any of the ribs were out of place.  
"Let's get these ribs wrapped back up so we can help them heal properly. There's not much else we can do at this point."  
Venus and Akira helped Hinata sit up, keeping him in place while Donny slowly warped bandages around him. Once that was done, Venus handed him some tea, encouraging him to drink it.  
"It will help you sleep so you can heal properly."  
She whispered, watching as he eyed her wearily before drinking. She held his hand while he drifted off, hoping she was comforting him a little bit. Once his eyes closed, she turned to watch the males in the room.  
Leo had appeared, arms crossed while he glared at Raph, who was twirling his Sai's and staring at Akira. Mikey was standing in between the two three, ready to jump whoever decided to strike first. Donny was cleaning up, writing down instructions and checking that he had things bandaged up properly. Finally, Leo broke the silence.  
"Are you out of your mind Raph? You brought him here, to April's house how could you?"  
"It's not like I invited them in for tea Leo, someone was hurt and needed our help."  
Raph growled, pushing off the walk to approach his brother. Leo help up his hands, obviously not wanting to set the other turtle off.  
"Raph, we can't trust them. They are going to tell the Shredder what happened, and he is going to come here looking for us. I don't want to destroy April's home again."  
"Don't you think I know that Leo? But he was my friend and he-"Raph paused to dramatically point at Akira "-was someone I once trusted with my life. He actually did save it once, when we were out on patrol and some punk decided to pull a gun on me. No matter what kind of crap he's put me through since then, I am grateful to him for not letting me die that night, and if I can repay the favor I will."  
Leo snorted, covering his mouth with his hand as he started to laugh. Raph started giggling too, and soon booth were in hysterics.  
"I can't believe after all the crap you give me about trusting Karai that you would be so eager to trust someone who has betrayed you."  
Leo said after he calmed down. Raph shook his head.  
"I don't, but I believe honor dictates that I help them right?"  
Leo nodded before turning and regarding the man in front of him.  
"One day, we will pay you back for what you did to our brother. Tonight, we extend our hospitality towards you and your injured family. As leader of the Hamoto Clan, I promise that no ill will shall befall on you while you are here, as long as you extend us the same courtesy."  
Mikey snickered, rolling his eyes.  
"You are such a cheese ball Leo, seriously who is your writer?"  
Leo tapped his little brother on the head before winking and disappearing into the kitchen. Venus had already pulled out a couple of frozen pizzas and preheated the over.  
"We all need to eat and relax a little. Raph's about to explode."  
She told Leo, unwrapping one of the pizzas to place it on a tray.  
"I know, but what can we do at this point? We can't let someone just die right?"  
"Funny how you want to help now, not back when Raph was running his clan."  
Venus said, and Leo sighed.  
"I know, I'm a jerk can we please get passed that? I should have been there for him and I wasn't how many times can I apologize for that. Venus shrugged, opening up the oven door to shove the pizzas inside. Checking that everything was alright, she turned back to Leo, patting the turtle on the shoulder.  
"We all know you did what you thought was right Leo, and while it might be annoying frustrating, it's what makes you you."  
She gave the leader a quick hug before turning to pull out plates for everyone to eat on.  
"Thank, I just wish that Raph could understand that too."  
Leo muttered, peeking out of the kitchen towards his brother, who had moved from glaring at Akira against the wall to glaring at Akira while sitting next to Hinata.  
"Leonardo, Raphael has been through a very rough patch. He's always needed something more than what we as a family could give him, and it's starting to show. We all just need to remember that as a family we need to support each other, not tear each other down."  
Venus told him, smiling and patting him affection ally on the shoulder. Leo sighed, placing his head on the counter and banging it several times.   
“Every time I think Raph and I will be able to get pass everything that has happened, something like this happens. I’m the bad guy no matter what I say, epically with Raph.”   
“You guys will get there, someday hop-“   
She was interrupted by a crash in the living room.   
“-Gala !”


	12. Chapter 12

Both turtles ran out to find Casey in the living room straddling Akira and holding his fist menacingly over the other male while Mikey attempted to keep him from striking.  
"Casey, what are you doing here?"  
Leo asked, pushing the hot-tempered male off of Akira.  
"April texted me and told me what was going on so I told my boss that my kid was sick and they let me go early. What the hell is he doing here?"  
Casey yelled, pointing in annoyance at Akira, who was already on his feet, ready for an attack.  
"Back off Case. Fearless has agreed to let him stay here for the night."  
Raph piped up, glaring at both of the men in turn. Leo sighed, Casey fumed, and Akira continued to watch everyone carefully, eyeing all the exits in turn. Mikey sighed, looking over to the kitchen where Venus had quickly disappeared back into.  
"Well, if you guys don't need me, I'm going to help get dinner ready."  
He made his escape quickly, ducking past his eldest brother before he could protest.  
"Hey V, what can I help you with?"  
He asked, settling in at one of the stools at the island.  
"Do you want to prepare a salad? I know you guys won't eat it but I'm sure Donny would prefer his patient eat something a little bit healthier."  
Venus suggested while keeping an eye on the time. Mikey quickly grabbed a few veggies, starting to cut them up while he listened for any noises coming from the other room.  
"Well, this turned out to be an exciting night didn't it?"  
He commented, smiling at the female. Venus rolled her eyes, nodding towards her shell cell.  
"Yea, April's texted me twice Shadow is really upset that she had to leave, she really wanted a movie night with us."  
"Maybe we could leave… it's not like we are really needed up here, and the tension is giving me a headache."  
"I know what you mean. I keep waiting for Leo and Raph to start blowing up at each other and it's making me crazy."  
Venus placed on a hot mitt and pulled out the first pizza, placing it on the counter. She reached for the second one, only to drop it on the stove top and double over. Mikey was by her side in an instant, helping her backwards until she was sitting down.  
"You ok?"  
He whispered, patting her hand reassuringly.  
"Yea, I just got a stitch in my side, I must have moved funny."  
Venus said, wincing slightly as she lightly touched the left side of her shell.  
"Do you want me to go get Donny?"  
"No, it's going away, I had a bad cramp after practice this morning and I probably just irritated it."  
With that Venus stood up, smiling at Mikey.  
"How about we feed the herd then tell Leo we're going back to the lair? I'm sure he won't argue with us about it."  
Mikey nodded, encouraging Venus to sit for a minute while he grabbed some plates and silverware, making her a plate before he offered food to the rest of the crew.  
Dinner was eaten in silence, Mikey had forced Casey to go eat in the kitchen with him and Venus so Leo didn't have to keep an eye on him. Donny sat up against the couch, coaching Akira through feeding Hinata some veggies while making sure he was chewing properly. Leo had dragged Raph into the bedroom, the two quietly arguing about the situation.  
Finally, they both came out, Raph looking annoyed and Leo just looking tired. The eldest gave his brother a pointed look before entering the kitchen himself to address the rest of them.  
"Casey, why don't you go back to work? Let them know everything is ok, and if we need you we will give you a call?"  
"C'mon Leo, I don't want that guy in my house. He's a-a-a-"  
Casey stuttered, looking over at Venus as if to measure what he could say in front of her.  
"-a jerk."  
"I know Case, but you being here isn't helping the situation at all. Raph and I can handle Akira, I don't want you to get in trouble at work."  
Casey nodded, muttering to himself but not wanting to pick a fight with Leo. He still had the bruises from the last time after all. Leo nodded, looking over at his other two siblings.  
"You guys might as well go too… it's going to be a long night, and you should get some rest just in case we need someone to stand guard tomorrow."  
Mikey nodded, turning to wink at Venus who just smiled.  
"Sounds good to me bro, V and I will have our Shell Cells on if you need anything."  
Mikey said, grabbing his plate and Venus's and taking them over to the sink.  
"Let me just talking to Donatello real quick, I'll give him a few things that he can mix up if he needs them and then we will go."  
Venus said, getting up and grabbing her herb box. She quickly pulled out a few, handing them to Donny and telling him how to mix things before Mikey grabbed her to leave. They both whispered a quick 'good luck' to the genius before nodding at Raph and escaping, bounding quickly down the stairs to head back home.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"Where is he?"  
Shredder questions, throwing Hun to the floor in disgust.  
"Master, I have every member of the Purple Dragons out looking for him. They'll find that traitor, and bring him back home to be properly disposed of."  
Shredder shook his head, looking out the window in anger and frustration. He had sent Xever out to find Hinata and finish him off. The former fish mutant was quick on the streets, but not quick enough. By the time he had gotten to the hospital Hinata was gone, aided by his own lieutenant, Akira.  
Shredder curled his fingers into fists, remembering the tension that had flowed through his body at the realization that his own third in command had betrayed him like this. If only Karai would have finished off Hinata when she was suppose too, none of this would have happened.  
Shredder's footsteps echoed through the halls, various members of his Clan bowing as their master passed by. Entering his throne room, he sat down heavily on his seat, deep in thought.  
Scenes of his own life, of his upbringing,, of the betrayal he had felt when he finally had realized that he was not in fact a member of the Hamato Clan, but a member of their greatest enemies. How he had fought Hamato Yoshi, wanting to destroy the man he had once called brother, to gain back his honor, the honor of his father.  
Taking Miwa, renaming her to honor the life of the woman he loved, who had abandoned him. Years later, finding out that Yoshi still lived, only to be 'defeated by his pupils and the female. His greatest plan, to shape one of Yoshi's students to be the ultimate leader, the heir to the Foot, only to have that turtle throw everything back into his face.  
So many of his followers had vouched for the mutant, and when he had refused, Shredder tried to pass it off as a mistake, his greatest enemy having brainwashed the teenager so Shredder couldn't get through to him. However, the seeds of doubt had been planted into his followers, and they were beginning to silently question his leadership.  
Not many, but the younger ones who had yet to fully reap the benefits of being Clan members, and had fallen for Raphael's compassion towards them. They were quietly being disposed of, the cops calling them yet another John Doe that turned up in the system.  
However, Hinata was a bigger problem. Having been a member for years, he had many fans in the Clan, people who respected him. If word got out that he was planning on leaving, to pledge his loyalty to the Hamato Clan, it could cause some issues for Shredder and the rest of The Foot.  
"Father?"  
Karai asked, approaching his throne and bowing deeply.  
"I have returned from Japan, I managed to get an earlier flight."  
Shredder nodded in approval, smiling down at his daughter.  
"Karai. Akira has betrayed us. He has stolen Hinata from the hospital that he was staying at before we could finish him off. I need you to go out and search for them, finish the job I put you on, and destroy Akira."  
Karai paled just a bit, before nodded.  
"Yes father."  
She bowed to him before turning and walking briskly away.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Hours past, and the sun was just about to start peaking over the tops of buildings. Leo stirred, having nodded off for a few hours His phone was beeping, the slight noise having woken him up. He looked down, only slightly surprised to see that it was Karai, asking him to meet her at their secret location. Glancing around, he looked over at Donny, who was staring at him.  
"Do you mind if step out for a bit?"  
Donny shook his head, looking over at his patient, who seemed to still be sleeping comfortably. Leo sheathed his Katana's, glancing over at Raph and Akira who were both still sleeping, and disappeared out the window into the quickly rising sunlight.  
Karai paced around the roof, waiting in annoyance for Leo to appear. A slight noise behind her and she jumped, looking over to see him standing there, arms crossed and frowning.  
"Leonardo."  
She said, approaching the turtle and hugging him, surprised at how much she had missed him. After the Shredder had been defeated, he had sent her back to Japan, only coming over every few months to check on things.  
She hadn't seen Leo in that time, Shredder warning her against spending time out on her own looking for him. He had seen the signs, the affection between the two, and was determined to crush them before anything happened.  
Leo stiffened up, not knowing what game she was trying to play now. Karai smiled to herself, glad to know that she could still get to him if she wanted.  
"What do you want Karai?"  
He asked, taking an unsure step back and reaching up instinctively for his Katana.  
"Oh Leo, are we going to start that already?" Couldn't a girl just want to catch up with an old friend she hasn't seen in a while?"  
Karai asked, holding up her hands as if to show that she did not plan to attack.  
"I don't think you're here as an 'old friend' Karai. What do you want?"  
Leo repeated, and Karai smiled.  
"So tense, like always. You'd think finally finding a female of your species would have loosened you up a bit Leonardo. Unless, of, course, she's not interested in you?"  
Leo didn't respond, trying to hide the slight blush that appeared on his cheeks. Karai watched him, smiling suggestively.  
"That's what I thought."  
She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Leo, who stared at it in confusion. It was almost blank, only a small black dot in the middle.  
"I don't understand. What is this supposed to mean."  
"Father gave it to me. It's a marker, for when I finish my mission."  
"Are you here to kill me Karai?"  
Leo asked, looking straight at her.  
"No, you're pretty low on father's 'needs killed' list right now. He's after the three traitors- Hinata, Akira, and Raphael."  
"My brother did not betray him, Shredder was trying to play his mind games and he lost."  
Leo snapped back, throwing the paper on the ground and getting into a fighting stance. Karai sighed, shaking her head.  
"I'm not here to fight you Leonardo, I'm here to deliver a warning. Tell them to flee the city, to surrender everything they have here, and live a life of exile, or next time I'll carve all of them to pieces and throw them in the river."  
Karai approached him, reaching out to touch a scar on Leo's left arm.  
"Perhaps you should remind Raphael just how skilled with a knife I can be."  
She said, throwing a smoke bomb at him and disappearing before Leo could respond.  
He made it back to April's, dodging and weaving around to avoid being seen in the daylight. Raph was waiting by the window, fuming.  
"Where have you been?"  
He snapped, and Leo rolled his eyes.  
"I had a meeting Raph, jeez, calm down."  
Leo said, calming entering the apartment and regarding the occupants.  
"Where's Donny?"  
He asked, and Raph pointed his thumb over his shoulder towards April's room.  
"He didn't sleep all night, I told him to get some zzz's while I played doctor. How's Karai?"  
Leo froze, blinking at Raph in surprise.  
"I can tell you've been with her because you always get that stupid look on your face afterwards."  
Raph commented, watching as Akira stiffened up.  
"We had a lovely chat as always, she sends you her regards."  
Leo said, sitting down on the couch next to Hinata, who groaned as he woke up.  
"You need to leave."  
He said, looking straight at the two humans before handing Akira the piece of paper that Karai had left him.  
"He's looking for all of you. He knows that Akira got Hinata out of the hospital, he's gunning for both of you. And you."  
Leo finished, looking over at Raph.  
"Karai has been given these markers for all three of you. She told me the only way to protect you, to protect the rest of our family is for you three to leave the city."  
Raph shook his head, not believing what he was hearing.   
"You want me to leave, just like that? With these two?"   
He shouted, pointing at the humans in disgust.  
"Do you remember what they did to me? Why would I leave with them after they served me up on a platter to my own enemy?"  
"I was leaving."   
Hinata whispered, causing Raph to blink in surprise.   
"My plan was to disappear for a while, then come find you and beg you for another chance. I was recruiting, there were several of us who had started to see the light and wanted to rejoin you. Shredder found out, he sent Karai after me but she let me live."   
Hinata struggled to sit up, grabbing on the back of the couch to support himself. He placed his feet on the ground, attempting to stand but not being able to so he chose to kneel on the floor.   
"Raphael, I have spent most of my life being abused and abandoned. When I joined The Foot, I did it to find a place somewhere with people who would protect me no matter what happened. The Shredder became my father, and the other members became my family. When I joined your Clan, I did so with the intent of destroying your family, but I realized how great an asset you really could be to us. Then, the past few months being back among my fellow clansmen, I realized that I was wrong to betray you, to choose this life over the one you were offering me."   
Hinata bowed deeper, his nose almost touching the floor.  
"I realize that I have too much blood on my hands to become a member of the Hamato Clan, but I believe I can prove myself by being a member of your Clan, the Clan Sai." 

Akira watched this whole exchange, staring at Raph's surprised face. The silence stretched on, as Raph debated his options.  
"Go."  
Leo whispered, standing up to place his hands on his brother's shoulders.   
"Get them out of town-we will figure out how to deal with Shredder, then you can come back."   
"I don't run from threats Leo, you know that."   
Raph spitted, picking up his Sais.   
“I'll take care of this once and for all."   
He ran out the window before anyone could stop him.   
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Shredder was still sitting in his throne room, waiting impatient for any news when an arrow whizzed by his head. Looking up, he saw Raphael standing by the skylight, the sun burning brightly behind him.   
"So, you've come to offer yourself up as a sacrifice. How noble. How pathetic."   
"I've come to fight you one last time, to drag you down to hell where you belong."   
Raph said, jumping down and brandishing his Sai. Shredder rose, leaping down the steps to land in front of the turtle and swinging. Raph dodged, back flipping away. He then counter attacked, locking his Sai around one of Shredder's gauntlet and throwing him across the room. Shredder's helmet fell off, and he glared angrily at his attacker.   
The two clashed again, Raph's anger towards him refocused into making precise, damaging strikes. Shredder wasn't used to this, all his times fighting this turtle he had gained the upper hand quickly, turning his anger into another weapon.   
Without that, Raph was stronger, and Shredder under estimated him, falling to his knees as another blow was felled on him.   
He looked up, daring the turtle to do it, and his last thought was that he would finally have a chance to beg Tang Shen for forgiveness.

A/N: One more chapter left, and it will finally be done! Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

Raph stood there for a minute, not sure what to do. The severity of his actions finally caught up to him, and Raph realized that he needed to get out. First though he took The Shredder’s helmet to give to his father as proof of what he had done, and then he ran to the back door, intent on leaving before any of his hench men could come in.   
That plan failed when Karai entered, staring in shock at her fallen father on the ground. Looking over at Raph, she blinked for a moment, processing the scene.   
“I always thought it would have been Leonardo.”   
She whispered, kneeling next to the man and taking his hand in hers.   
“I know, me too.”   
Raph responded, backing away slowly from her. His instincts were right, Karai had her Tanto unsheathed and was on top of him before he could even blink. She stared down at him, fury in her brown eyes before she backed off, holding out her weapon.   
“Take your prize and go. Leave the city tonight, and I will attempt to save the rest of your family from your foolish actions.”   
Raph nodded, disappearing into the night before she could change her mind. Karai knelt down again at her father’s side, holding his hand and searching vainly for a pulse.   
“I’m sorry father.”   
She whispered, folding his hands on top of each other before calling for some men to move him.   
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Raph ran through the sewers, still clutching the helmet tightly to his chest. Entering the lair, he saw that Venus and Mikey were crashed out on the couch, Shadow sprawled out in between them. April was in the easy chair, her hair a mess after sleeping sitting up like that.   
Splinter was nowhere to be found, and Raph slowly approached the dojo, opening it to find his own father kneeling in front of the alter. Walking in, he fell to his knees behind his father, waiting for the old rat to look at him.   
“Master Splinter, Oroku Saki is no more. I bring you this gift, to prove my victory.”   
Raph said, placing the helmet in front of him. Splinter said nothing, looking at Raph with nothing but sadness. Raph bowed his head even lower, not knowing how to respond to his father’s actions. Finally Splinter stood, placing a hand on Raph’s shoulder.   
“Are you hurt my son?”   
“Not badly Sensei, it’s mostly his.”   
“You should go wash up, I will wake up Venus and have her check you over.”   
Raph nodded, making his way over to the bathroom. He stared in the mirror for a minute, not used to seeing his reflection as it had only been replaced a few days ago. He quickly washed off, checking himself over for any serious injuries.   
Venus was waiting for him in his room, having already pulled out some bandages. She worked in silence, waiting for Raph to tell her what had happened. When she was done, he thanked her, reaching under his bed to grab his duffle bag.   
“What are you doing?”   
She asked, blinking.   
“I need to get out of here for a bit, they’re after me.”   
He replied, quickly grabbing his spare weapons and a few other odds and ends.   
“Raph, you don’t need to leave, we can protect you.”   
Venus protested, grabbing him by the arm. Raph shook his head, determined.   
“I need to go V, I can’t risk putting you guys in any more danger than I already have. I’ll be back soon, I promise.”   
He patted the female on the shoulder, leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek.   
“Raph- before you go, I…”   
Venus trailed off, losing her nerve. She sighed, closing her eyes before saying   
“Be careful.”   
Raph nodded, barely looking back as he left his home.   
3 Months later…  
“This is getting ridiculous. When is he going to come home already?”   
Mikey asked, slamming his hands on the counter in annoyance.   
“Relax Mikey, I’m sure he’s just bidding his time, waiting to make sure that things are safe before he comes back.”   
Donny commented, writing down some notes on the map he was looking at.   
“Raph doesn’t run from anything, remember? Why was this so different?”   
“I don’t know Mikey, but it was. Don’t worry, we will find him, it’s just going to take some time.”   
Donny reassured his younger brother, sighing to himself as he began to once again doubt his own words. Mikey frowned, crossed his arms and huffing with annoyance.   
“I’m going to go bring Venus some lunch, hopefully she’s feeling up to eating.”   
Mikey said, opening up the fridge to pull out some soup to reheat for the female. He grabbed a can of ginger ale, figuring it would help her hold down some food and some crackers and left Donny alone. He re-entered the kitchen a few minutes later, frowning as he placed everything back on the counter.   
“I take it she turned you down?”   
Donny asked, still checking his notes over.   
“Yea, but she told me to come get you, said she needed some help.”   
Donny sighed, getting up himself.   
“Maybe she’s finally ready to have me check her out and make sure it’s just a bug.”   
He muttered, making his way down the hallway. Mikey shrugged, putting away the food he had gotten out and deciding that he was going to go see what Leo was doing. He walked into the dojo, watching as Leo and Master Splinter spared with each other. He sat off to the side, watching the beauty of the movements between his sensei and his leader.   
It had been a rough few months for Leo, first having to come to terms with the fact that Raph had avenged their master, then second guessing the fact he had told Raph to leave in the first place. He was spending a lot of time in meditation, trying to overcome his feelings of jealous and inadequacy.   
Mikey zoned out, not really paying attention to anything until Leo came over and bopped him on the head.   
“Ow.”   
He whined, rubbing the spot and pretend pouting.   
“Would you like a turn Michelangelo? Perhaps we can work on some of your Kata’s?”   
Splinter asked, smiling devilishly at Mikey while tapping his cane.   
“Uh… um… I mean… I guess I could-“   
His train of thought was interrupted by the ringing of his Shell Cell.   
“Excuse me for a minute Master Splinter, let me just check that.”   
He looked at his phone and frowned.   
“It’s Donny… he said to grab his emergency kit and some blankets and bring them to Venus’s room. “   
Splinter and Leo looked at each other quickly before the rat spoke to his sons.   
“You two gather the supplies, I will go and see if Donatello needs assistance.”   
He said, and the three split up. Splinter quickly jogged down the hall, stopping short at the sight of his son. Blood covered his hands and his face, which was quickly leaking tears.   
“My child, what has happened?”   
He asked shortly, grabbing Donnie by the shoulders and shaking him gently. Donny couldn’t answer, he just stepped aside to allow his father entrance.   
The rat peeked in, seeing Venus laying on the bed. He went into the room and stopped short, his brain finally processing that she had herself wrapped around two mutant turtle sized eggs.   
A/N: And after however many years this is finally done. Took quite a bit of a detour from my original plans, but I guess that’s what happens. I’ll probably write a sequel, I have a lot of free time right now at my job but until then, thanks for reading!


End file.
